Chronological

1 ¶ Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the Thessalonians congregated in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

² ¶ We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

³ remembering without ceasing the work of your faith and labour and charity and of waiting with the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

⁴ being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.

⁵ For our gospel did not come unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in full assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ ¶ And ye were made imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit:

⁷ So that ye have become examples to all that have believed in Macedonia and Achaia.

⁸ For through you the word of the Lord has been divulged not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is in God, has become extended, so that we have no need to say anything.

⁹ For they themselves tell of us what an entrance we had unto you and in what manner ye were converted to God from idols to serve the living and true God

¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

2 ¶ For you yourselves, brethren, know that our entrance unto you was not vain,

² but having suffered before and having been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to announce unto you the gospel of God with much diligence.

³ For our exhortation was not of error nor of uncleanness nor in guile,

⁴ but because we have been approved of God that he might entrust us with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

⁵ For we were never flatterers in the word, as ye know, nor tainted with covetousness, God is witness,

⁶ nor did we seek glory of men neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome unto you as the apostles of Christ.

⁷ ¶ But we were gentle among you, as a mother feeding and caring for her children,

⁸ loving you so much, that we were willing to give unto you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls, because ye are dear unto us.

⁹ For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for labouring night and day, not to be a burden unto any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.

¹⁰ Ye are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and just and irreprehensible our behaviour was among you that believe,

¹¹ as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children,

¹² that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

¹³ ¶ For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that having received from us the word to hear from God, ye received it not as the word of men, (but as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually works in you that believe.

¹⁴ For ye, brethren, have been imitators in Christ Jesus of the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God which are in Judaea, for ye also have suffered like things of your own nation, even as they have of the Jews,

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their sins always, for the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

¹⁷ ¶ But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly with great desire to see your face.

¹⁸ Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.

¹⁹ For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

²⁰ For ye are our glory and joy.

3 ¶ Therefore when we could wait no longer, we agreed to remain in Athens alone

² and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of the Christ, to confirm you and to exhort you in your faith,

³ that no one should be moved in these tribulations, for you know that we are appointed for this.

⁴ For even when we were with you, we told you in advance that we must pass through tribulations, even as it has come to pass, and ye know.

⁵ For this cause I, also, not waiting any longer, have sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter has tempted you and our labour is in vain.

⁶ ¶ But now when Timothy came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you.

⁷ Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our tribulation and need by your faith;

⁸ for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

⁹ For what thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy with which we joy for your sakes before our God,

¹⁰ night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might complete that which is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ ¶ Now may God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you.

¹² And the Lord make you to multiply and make charity to abound among you and toward all men, even as it is with us toward you,

¹³ that your hearts may be confirmed in holiness, irreprehensible before God, even our Father, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

4 ¶ It is in order then, brethren, that we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that in the manner ye were taught of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would continue to grow.

² For ye already know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

³ For the will of God is your sanctification, that ye should separate yourselves from fornication,

⁴ that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honesty,

⁵ not with affection of lust, as the Gentiles who do not know God,

⁶ that no one oppress and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

⁷ For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.

⁸ He therefore that despises us, does not despise man, but God, who has also given unto us his Holy Spirit.

⁹ ¶ But as touching love among the brethren, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves have learned of God that ye are to show charity to one another.

¹⁰ And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia, but we beseech you, brethren, that ye continue to grow

¹¹ and that ye procure to be quiet and to do your business and to work with your hands, as we commanded you,

¹² that ye may walk honestly toward those that are without, and that ye may desire nothing from any one.

¹³ ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as the others who have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who sleep in Jesus will God also bring with him.

¹⁵ For this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

¹⁷ then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

5 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

² For ye know well that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night.

³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

⁴ But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should take you as a thief.

⁵ Ye are all the sons of light, and the sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

⁶ ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

⁷ For those that sleep sleep in the night, and those that are drunken are drunken in the night.

⁸ But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet, the hope of saving health.

⁹ For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain saving health by our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we watch or sleep, we should live together with him.

¹¹ ¶ Therefore comfort and edify one another, even as ye do.

¹² And we beseech you, brethren, to recognize those who labour among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you

¹³ and that you express greater charity unto them for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴ We also exhort you, brethren, that you warn those that are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil unto anyone, but always follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.

¹⁶ ¶ Always rejoice.

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

¹⁹ Quench not the Spirit.

²⁰ Despise not prophecies.

²¹ Examine all things; retain that which is good.

²² Separate yourselves from all appearance of evil.

²³ ¶ And the very God of peace sanctify you completely, that your spirit, soul, and body be preserved whole without reprehension for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ Faithful is he that has called you, who will also do it.

²⁵ Brethren, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1 ¶ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, unto the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the Thessalonians in God our Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ:

² Grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ We must thank God always for you, brethren, as is due because your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of each and every one of you toward each other abounds,

⁴ so that we ourselves glory in you in the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure and

⁵ ¶ in testimony of the just judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer,

⁶ seeing it is a just thing with God to recompense tribulation to those that trouble you

⁷ and to give you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power,

⁸ with flaming fire, to take vengeance on those that do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁹ who shall be punished with eternal destruction by the presence of the Lord and by the glory of his power,

¹⁰ when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all those that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

¹¹ ¶ Therefore in this manner we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling and fill each will with goodness and the work of faith with power

¹² that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be clarified in you, and ye in him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together unto him,

² that ye not be easily shaken in understanding or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as if the day of Christ is at hand.

³ ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,

⁴ opposing and exalting himself against all that is called God, or divinity, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, making himself appear to be God.

⁵ Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

⁶ And ye know what impedes this now, that he might be revealed in his time.

⁷ For the mystery of iniquity is already working, except that he who dominates now will dominate until he is taken out of the way.

⁸ And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and remove with the clarity of his coming:

⁹ that wicked one, who shall come by the working of Satan with great power and signs and lying miracles,

¹⁰ and with all deception of iniquity working in those that perish because they did not receive the charity of the truth, to be saved.

¹¹ Therefore, for this cause, God shall send the operation of error in them, that they should believe the lie;

¹² that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but consented to the iniquity.

¹³ ¶ But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to saving health through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth,

¹⁴ unto which he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast and retain the doctrine which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.

¹⁶ ¶ Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father, who has loved us and has given us eternal consolation and good hope through grace,

¹⁷ comfort your hearts and confirm you in every good word and work.

3 ¶ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you,

² And that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked men, for the faith is not of everyone.

³ But the Lord is faithful, who shall confirm you and keep you from evil.

⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord regarding you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

⁵ And the Lord make your hearts upright in the charity of God and in the hope of the Christ.

⁶ ¶ Now we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks out of order, and not after the doctrine which ye received of us.

⁷ For you know in what manner you ought to imitate us, for we did not walk disorderly among you,

⁸ neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought, but working with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

⁹ Not because we did not have authority, but to give you an example that you might imitate us.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, this we declared unto you, that if anyone desires not to work neither should he eat.

¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you out of order, not working at all, but are busybodies.

¹² Now those that are such, we charge and exhort in our Lord Jesus Christ, that working with quietness, they eat their bread.

¹³ But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

¹⁴ And if anyone does not hearken unto our word by this epistle, note that one and do not join with him, that he may be ashamed.

¹⁵ Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

¹⁶ ¶ Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by every means. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷ Receive saving health from my hand, Paul, which is the sign in all my letters: so I write.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.