Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit

3 Therefore, ^(A)when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at ^(B)Athens, ² and we sent ^(C)Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, ³ so that no one would be ^[a]disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^(D)we have been destined for this. ⁴ For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; ^[b](E)and so it happened, ^[c]as you know. ⁵ For this reason, ^(F)when I could no longer endure it, I also ^(G)sent to ^[d]find out about your faith, for fear that ^(H)the tempter might have tempted you, and ^(I)our labor would be for nothing.

⁶ But now that ^(J)Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of ^(K)your faith and love, and that you always ^(L)think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, ⁷ for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; ⁸ for now we really live, if you ^(M)stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ For ^(N)what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, ¹⁰ as we ^(O)keep praying most earnestly night and day that we may ^(P)see your faces, and may ^(Q)complete what is lacking in your faith?

^11 (R)Now may ^(S)our God and Father ^(T)Himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^(U)direct our way to you; ¹² and may the Lord cause you to increase and ^(V)overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; ¹³ so that He may ^(W)establish your hearts ^(X)blameless in holiness before ^(Y)our God and Father at the ^[e](Z)coming of our Lord Jesus ^(AA)with all His ^[f]saints.

Sanctification and Love

4 ^(AB)Finally then, ^(AC)brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to ^[g](AD)walk and ^(AE)please God (just as you actually do ^[h]walk), that you ^(AF)excel even more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you ^[i]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ^(AG)abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that ^(AH)each of you know how to ^[j]possess his own ^[k](AI)vessel in sanctification and ^(AJ)honor, ⁵ not in ^[l](AK)lustful passion, like the Gentiles who ^(AL)do not know God; ⁶ and that no one violate the rights and ^(AM)take advantage of his brother or sister ^(AN)in the matter, because ^(AO)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ^(AP)told you previously and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(AQ)God has not called us for ^[m](AR)impurity, but in sanctification. ⁸ Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who ^(AS)gives His Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now as to the ^(AT)love of the brothers and sisters, you ^(AU)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ^(AV)taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ for indeed ^(AW)you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to ^(AX)excel even more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition ^(AY)to lead a quiet life and ^(AZ)attend to your own business and ^(BA)work with your hands, just as we instructed you, ¹² so that you will ^[n](BB)behave properly toward ^(BC)outsiders and ^[o](BD)not be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

¹³ But ^(BE)we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who ^[p](BF)are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed ^(BG)the rest of mankind do, who have ^(BH)no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, ^(BI)so also God will bring with Him ^(BJ)those who have fallen asleep ^[q]through Jesus. ¹⁵ For we say this to you ^(BK)by the word of the Lord, that ^(BL)we who are alive ^[r]and remain until ^(BM)the coming of the Lord will not precede ^(BN)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord ^(BO)Himself ^(BP)will descend from heaven with a ^[s](BQ)shout, with the voice of ^(BR)the archangel and with the ^(BS)trumpet of God, and ^(BT)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then ^(BU)we who are alive, who remain, will be ^(BV)caught up together with them ^(BW)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always ^(BX)be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore, ^[t]comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now as to the ^(BY)periods and ^[u]times, brothers and sisters, you ^(BZ)have no need of anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know full well that ^(CA)the day of the Lord is coming ^(CB)just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “^(CC)Peace and safety!” then ^(CD)sudden destruction ^[v]will come upon them like ^(CE)labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in ^(CF)darkness, so that the day would overtake you ^[w](CG)like a thief; ⁵ for you are all ^(CH)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of ^(CI)darkness; ⁶ so then, let’s not ^(CJ)sleep as ^[x](CK)others do, but let’s be alert and ^[y](CL)sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, ^(CM)get drunk at night. ⁸ But since ^(CN)we are of the day, let’s ^(CO)be ^[z]sober, having put on the ^(CP)breastplate of ^(CQ)faith and love, and as a ^(CR)helmet, the ^(CS)hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(CT)wrath, but for ^(CU)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (CV)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore, ^[aa]encourage one another and ^(CW)build one another up, just as you also are doing.

Christian Conduct

¹² But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to ^(CX)recognize those ^(CY)who diligently labor among you and ^[ab](CZ)are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you ^[ac]instruction, ¹³ and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. ^(DA)Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish ^(DB)the ^[ad]unruly, encourage ^(DC)the fainthearted, help ^(DD)the weak, be ^(DE)patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that ^(DF)no one repays another with evil for evil, but always ^(DG)seek what is good for one another and for all people. ^16 (DH)Rejoice always, ^17 (DI)pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything ^(DJ)give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ^19 (DK)Do not quench the Spirit, ²⁰ do not utterly reject ^[ae](DL)prophecies, ²¹ but ^(DM)examine everything; ^(DN)hold firmly to that which is good, ²² abstain from every ^[af]form of evil.

²³ Now ^(DO)may the God of peace ^(DP)Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your ^(DQ)spirit and soul and body be kept complete, ^(DR)without blame at ^(DS)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (DT)Faithful is He who ^(DU)calls you, and He also will do it.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, ^(DV)pray for us^[ag].

^26 (DW)Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I put you under oath by the Lord to ^(DX)have this letter read to all the ^(DY)brothers and sisters.

^28 (DZ)May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Giving Thanks for Faith and Perseverance

1 ^(A)Paul, ^(B)Silvanus, and ^(C)Timothy,

To the ^(D)church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ^2 (E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ We ought always ^(F)to give thanks to God for you, ^(G)brothers and sisters, as is only fitting, because your faith is increasing abundantly, and the ^(H)love of each and every one of you toward one another grows ever greater. ⁴ As a result, we ourselves ^(I)speak proudly of you among ^(J)the churches of God for your ^[a]perseverance and faith ^[b](K)in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. ⁵ This is ^[c]a ^(L)plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be ^(M)considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. ^6 [d]For after all ^(N)it is only right ^[e]for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, ^[f](O)when the Lord Jesus will be revealed ^(P)from heaven ^(Q)with ^[g]His mighty angels ^8 (R)in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who ^(S)do not know God, and to those who ^(T)do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These people will pay the penalty of ^(U)eternal destruction, ^(V)away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes to be ^(W)glorified among His ^[h]saints on that ^(X)day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our ^(Y)testimony to you was believed. ¹¹ To this end also we ^(Z)pray for you always, that our God will ^(AA)consider you worthy of your ^(AB)calling, and fulfill every desire for ^(AC)goodness and the ^(AD)work of faith with power, ¹² so that the ^(AE)name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.