Chronological
Greetings
1 Paul, Silvanus,[a] and Timothy,
To the community of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah:
Grace to you and shalom.
Good News with Power
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers—continually 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadiness of hope in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 4 We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that you are chosen, 5 because our Good News did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and with complete certainty—just as you know what kind of men we proved to be while among you for your sake.
6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having accepted the message in much tribulation, with the joy of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 7 So you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord rang out from you—not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faithfulness toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves bring news about what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Yeshua, the One delivering us from the coming wrath.
Cherishing Spiritual Children
2 For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in vain. 2 On the contrary, after we had first suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know,[b] we had boldness in our God to tell you the Good News of God—even in the midst of much opposition. 3 For our urging is not out of deceit or impure motives or trickery. 4 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we declare it—not pleasing men but rather God, who examines our hearts.[c]
5 For as you know and God is witness, we never came with a word of flattery or a motive of greed— 6 or seeking glory from people, whether from you or from others, 7 even though we could have thrown our weight around as emissaries of Messiah. Rather, we proved to be infants[d] among you. Like a nursing mother[e] cherishes her children, 8 in this way we were yearning for you. We were delighted to share with you not only the Good News of God but also our very souls, because you had become dear to us.
9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship—working night and day, so as not to burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the Good News of God. 10 You are witnesses, along with God, of how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we behaved toward you who believe. 11 For you know how, as a father with his own children, 12 we exhorted and encouraged and urged each one of you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
13 For this reason, we also thank God constantly that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is—the word of God, which does its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s communities in Messiah Yeshua that are in Judea—for you suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen as they did from the Judean leaders, 15 who killed both the Lord Yeshua and the prophets and drove us out.[f] They are not pleasing to God and hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they might be saved. As a result, they constantly fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.
Longing to Visit and Reassure
17 But brothers and sisters, after we were orphaned by separation from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we were all the more eager in our great longing to see you face to face. 18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—but satan thwarted us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting[g] before our Lord Yeshua at His coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy!
3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind alone in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the Good News of Messiah, in order to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know we are destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer persecution—just as has happened, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faithfulness, for fear that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be in vain.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us the good news of your faithfulness and love, and that you always have good memories of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you— 7 because of this, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and trouble, we were comforted about you by your faithfulness. 8 For now we live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks would be enough to offer to God, in return for all the joy we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night time and day time we keep praying more than ever to see you face to face,[h] and mend any shortcomings in your faith.
Thanks, Joy, and Love Before God
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Yeshua our Lord direct our way to you. 12 May the Lord also cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, 13 in order to strengthen your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all His kedoshim. Amen.
Walking in Sanctification
4 Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and appeal in the Lord Yeshua—just as you received from us the way you ought to walk and please God (as in fact you are walking)—that you keep progressing more and more. [i] 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Yeshua. 3 For this is the will of God—your sanctification:[j]
to abstain from sexual immorality;
4 to know, each of you, how to gain control over his own body[k] in holiness and honor— 5 not in the passion of lust like the pagans who do not know God;
6 and not to overstep his brother and take advantage of him in this matter—
because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to impurity, but in holiness. 8 Consequently, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but God, who gives His Ruach ha-Kodesh to you.
9 Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write you—for you yourselves are taught by God[l] to love one another. 10 In fact, you even practice it toward all your brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to keep progressing more and more 11 and aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, just as we directed you— 12 so you may behave properly toward outsiders and not have need of anything.
The Shofar Call of Messiah’s Return
13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, so with Him God will also bring those who have fallen asleep in Yeshua. [m] 15 For this we tell you, by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar,[n] and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air—and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Keep Watch for the Day of the Lord
5 Now concerning the times and seasons,[o] brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord[p] comes like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “Shalom and safety,”[q] sudden destruction comes upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb—there is no way they will escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, so that the Day might overtake you like a thief. [r] 5 For you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness— 6 so then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain on the alert and sober-minded. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober-minded—putting on the breastplate of faithfulness and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. [s] 9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 10 He died for us so that, whether we may be awake or asleep,[t] we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up—just as you in fact are doing.
Instructions for Community Life
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who work hard among you and are over you in the Lord and correct[u] you, 13 and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Keep shalom among yourselves.
14 We urge you, brothers and sisters, correct the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray constantly,
18 in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua.
19 Do not quench the Spirit,
20 do not despise prophetic messages,
21 but test all things, hold fast to what is good,
22 keep away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of shalom Himself make you completely holy; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 24 Faithful is the One who calls you—and He will make it happen!
Closing Greetings
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you under oath, by the Lord, that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you.[v]
Greetings
1 Paul, Silvanus,[a] and Timothy,
To the community of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah:
2 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah!
Troubles From an Eternal Perspective
3 We ought to always thank God for you, brothers and sisters, as is appropriate, because your faithfulness grows wonderfully, and the love of each one of you for one another continually increases. 4 Therefore, we ourselves boast of you among the communities of God—about your perseverance and faithfulness through all the persecutions and troubles that you endure. 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
(6 For after all, it is right in the sight of God to pay back trouble to those who trouble you, 7 and relief to you who suffer trouble along with us. At the revelation of the Lord Yeshua from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire,[b] He will command judgment on those who do not know God and do not heed the Good News of our Lord Yeshua. [c] 9 They will pay the price of eternal ruin, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power[d]— 10 on that Day when He comes to be glorified among His kedoshim and marveled at by all who have believed,[e] because our testimony to you was believed.)
11 With this in mind, we pray for you constantly, that our God may consider you worthy of the calling and fulfill with power every good desire and work of faith, 12 so the name of our Lord Yeshua may be glorified in you, and you in Him, in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, concerning the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to Him, 2 not to get shaken out of your mind or disturbed—either by a spirit or a word or a letter as if through us—as though the Day of the Lord[f] has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for the Day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one destined to be destroyed. [g] 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the Temple of God, proclaiming himself that he is God.[h]
5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what now holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already operating; only there is one who holds back just now, until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Yeshua will slay him with the breath of His mouth and wipe him out with the appearance of His coming. [i] 9 The coming of the lawless one is connected to the activity of satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with every kind of wicked deception toward those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a delusional force, to lead them to believe what is false, [j] 12 so that they may be judged—all those who did not believe the truth but delighted in wickedness.[k]
Firstfruits of Salvation
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation[l] through sanctification by the Ruach and belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this salvation through our proclaiming the Good News, for you to gain the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good deed and word.
3 Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be glorified—just as it is with you. 2 Also pray that we may be rescued from perverse and evil people, for not all are trustworthy. 3 But the Lord is trustworthy—and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will keep doing what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Messiah.
No Time to Be Lazy
6 Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, to keep away from every brother who behaves irresponsibly and not according to the tradition they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we did not behave inappropriately among you. 8 And we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but worked night and day with labor and hardship, so as not to burden any of you. 9 It wasn’t that we had no right, but rather to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that some among you are behaving irresponsibly—not busy, but busybodies. 12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Messiah Yeshua to work in a quiet demeanor, so they may eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brothers, do not grow weary of doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey our message in this letter, take special note of him and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. 15 Yet do not consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Final Words
16 Now may the Lord of shalom Himself give you shalom at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all!
17 The greeting is in my own hand—Paul’s. It is a sign in every letter—in this way I write.[m]
18 The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you all.[n]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.