1 Thessalonians 2:3-12

New American Standard Bible

³ For our ^(A)exhortation does not come from ^(B)error or ^(C)impurity or ^[a]by way of ^(D)deceit; ^4 (E)but just as we have been approved by God to be ^(F)entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^(G)not intending to please people, but to please God, who ^[b](H)examines our hearts. ⁵ For we never came ^[c]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^(I)a pretext ^[d]for greed—^(J)God is our witness— ⁶ nor did we ^(K)seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though ^[e]we could have ^[f]asserted our authority as ^(L)apostles of Christ. ⁷ But we ^[g]proved to be ^[h](M)gentle ^[i]among you. ^(N)As a nursing mother ^[j]tenderly cares for her own children, ⁸ in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to ^(O)share with you not only the ^(P)gospel of God, but also our own ^[k]lives, because you had become ^[l]very dear to us.

⁹ For you recall, brothers and sisters, our ^(Q)labor and hardship: it was by ^(R)working night and day so as not to be a ^(S)burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the ^(T)gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is ^(U)God, of ^(V)how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we ^[m]behaved toward you ^[n]believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were ^(W)exhorting and encouraging and ^(X)imploring each one of you as ^(Y)a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would ^(Z)walk in a manner worthy of the God who ^(AA)calls you into His own kingdom and ^(AB)glory.