⁹ Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(A) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(B) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(C) and so is God,^(D) of how holy,^(E) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{(F) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(G) of God, who calls^(H) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(I) because, when you received the word of God,^(J) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(K) of God’s churches in Judea,^(L) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(M) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus^(N) and the prophets^(O) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(P) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(Q) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[a]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(R) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^{(S) 18} For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(T) blocked our way.^{(U) 19} For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(V) in which we will glory^(W) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(X) Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory^(Y) and joy.