⁷ Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{(A) 8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(B) but our lives as well.^{(C) 9} Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(D) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(E) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(F) and so is God,^(G) of how holy,^(H) 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,^{(I) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(J) of God, who calls^(K) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(L) because, when you received the word of God,^(M) 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.