Greeting

Paul, Silvanus,[a](A) and Timothy:(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Judgment and Glory

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, since your faith is flourishing and the love(D) each one of you has for one another(E) is increasing.(F) Therefore, we ourselves boast(G) about you among God’s churches—about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring. It is clear evidence of God’s righteous(H) judgment(I) that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering,(J) since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, when he takes vengeance with flaming fire(K) on those who don’t know God(L) and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(M) They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction(N) from the Lord’s presence(O) and from his glorious strength(P) 10 on that day when he comes(Q) to be glorified(R) by his saints(S) and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling,(T) and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good[b] and your work produced by faith,(U) 12 so that the name(V) of our Lord Jesus will be glorified(W) by you, and you by him,(X) according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Or Silas; Ac 15:22–32; 16:19–40; 17:1–16
  2. 1:11 Or power bring to fruition your desire to do good

Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration

66 This is what the Lord says:

Heaven(A) is my throne,(B)
and earth is my footstool.(C)
Where could you possibly build a house for me?
And where would my resting place be?(D)
My hand made all these things,
and so they all came into being.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will look favorably on this kind of person:
one who is humble,(E) submissive[a] in spirit,(F)
and trembles at my word.
One person slaughters an ox, another kills a person;
one person sacrifices a lamb, another breaks a dog’s neck;
one person offers a grain offering, another offers pig’s blood;
one person offers incense, another praises an idol—
all these have chosen their ways
and delight in their abhorrent practices.(G)
So I will choose their punishment,
and I will bring on them what they dread
because I called and no one answered;
I spoke and they did not listen;
they did what was evil in my sight
and chose what I did not delight in.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 66:2 Lit broken

12 For this is what the Lord says:

I will make peace flow to her like a river,(A)
and the wealth[a] of nations like a flood;(B)
you will nurse and be carried on her hip(C)
and bounced on her lap.
13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,(D)
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you[b] will flourish like grass;(E)
then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants,
but he will show his wrath against his enemies.
15 Look, the Lord will come with fire(F)
his chariots are like the whirlwind(G)
to execute his anger with fury
and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment
on all humanity(H) with his fiery sword,
and many will be slain by the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 66:12 Or glory
  2. 66:14 Lit your bones

30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified;(A) and those he justified, he also glorified.(B)

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