Timothy’s Encouraging Report

⁶ But Timothy^(A) has just now come to us from you^(B) and has brought good news about your faith and love.^(C) He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.^{(D) 7} Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm^(E) in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you^(F) in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?^{(G) 10} Night and day we pray^(H) most earnestly that we may see you again^(I) and supply what is lacking in your faith.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father^(J) himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other^(K) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless^(L) and holy in the presence of our God and Father^(M) when our Lord Jesus comes^(N) with all his holy ones.^(O)

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^{(A) 43} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,^(B) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready,^(C) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,^(D) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.^{(E) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.^{(F) 48} But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.^{(G) 50} The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(H)