ACV - I Thessalonians

Chapter 1

1:1  Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the congregation of Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:2  We thank God always about all of you, making recollection of you in our prayers,

1:3  remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

1:4  Knowing, beloved brothers, your selection by God,

1:5  because the good news from us happened to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as ye know what kind of men we became among you, because of you.

1:6  And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

1:7  in order for you to become examples to all those who believe, in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1:8  For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

1:9  For they report about us what kind of entrance we had with you, and how ye turned to God from the idols to serve a living and true God,

1:10  and to await his Son from the heavens whom he raised from the dead-Jesus-who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Chapter 2

2:1  For ye yourselves know, brothers, our entrance with you, that it has not become empty.

2:2  But having suffered before and been mistreated in Philippi, as ye know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the good news of God within much conflict.

2:3  For our exhortation is not from error, nor from uncleanness, nor in deception,

2:4  but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, thus we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts.

2:5  For we came neither in word of flattery (at any time as ye know) nor a pretense of greed (God is witness)

2:6  nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others. While able to bear down as apostles of Christ,

2:7  nevertheless we became gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse cherishes her own children.

2:8  Thus being desirous of you, we were pleased to impart to you, not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because ye have become beloved to us.

2:9  For ye remember, brothers, our labor and the hardship. For, laboring night and day in order not to burden any of you, we preached to you the good news of God.

2:10  Ye are witnesses, and God, how piously and justly and blamelessly we became to you who believe,

2:11  just as ye know, as each one of you as a father of his own children, imploring you, and comforting,

2:12  and solemnly declaring for you to walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

2:13  And because of this we thank God without ceasing, because, having received the word of God heard from us, ye received not the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

2:14  For ye, brothers, became imitators of the congregations of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because ye also suffered the same things by your own countrymen, just as also they by the Jews.

2:15  The men who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and who persecuted us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men.

2:16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles so that they might be saved, in order to fill up their sins always. But wrath came upon them finally.

2:17  But we, brothers, who were orphaned from you for the time of an hour, in presence not in heart, hastened more earnestly to see your face, with much desire.

2:18  Therefore we wanted to come to you, indeed I, Paul, even once and again, and Satan hindered us.

2:19  For what is our hope or joy or crown of boast? Or is it not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

2:20  For ye are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3

3:1  Therefore, no longer covering over it, we preferred to be left behind in Athens alone.

3:2  And we sent Timothy, our brother, and a helper of God, and our fellow workman in the good news of the Christ, in order to establish you and to encourage you about your faith,

3:3  for no man to be disturbed by these afflictions. For ye yourselves know that we are set for this.

3:4  For also when we were with you we foretold you that we were going to be oppressed, just as it also happened, and ye know.

3:5  Because of this, I too, no longer covering over it, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow he who tempts was tempting you, and our labor became in vain.

3:6  But now of Timothy, having come to us from you, and having proclaimed good news to us of your faith and love, and that ye always have a good recollection of us, longing to see us, just as we also you,

3:7  because of this, brothers, we were encouraged toward you in all our affliction and necessity through your faith.

3:8  Because now we live, if ye stand firm in the Lord.

3:9  For what thanks can we repay God about you, for all the joy in which we rejoiced because of you before our God,

3:10  praying night and day above extraordinary in order to see your face and to mend the deficiencies of your faith?

3:11  Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

3:12  And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love toward each other, and toward all men, just as also we toward you,

3:13  in order to establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his sanctified.

Chapter 4

4:1  Finally therefore, brothers, we ask you, and summon in the Lord Jesus, that just as ye received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, that ye may abound more.

4:2  For ye know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

4:3  For this is the will of God, your sanctification, for you to abstain from fornication,

4:4  for each of you to know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and reverence,

4:5  not in passion of lust, as also the Gentiles who have not known God,

4:6  not to transgress and to cheat his brother in the affair, because the Lord is vengeful about all these things, as also we forewarned you and solemnly testified.

4:7  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

4:8  Therefore he who disregards, disregards not man, but God, who also gave his Holy Spirit to you.

4:9  But about brotherly love ye have no need to write to you, for ye yourselves are taught by God in order to love each other.

4:10  For ye are also doing it toward all the brothers in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to abound more,

4:11  and to aspire to live quietly, and to do your own things, and to work with your own hands, just as we commanded you,

4:12  so that ye may walk properly toward those outside, and may have nothing lacking.

4:13  But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that ye may not grieve, as also the others who have no hope.

4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and arose, so also those who became asleep through Jesus, God will bring with him.

4:15  For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain for the coming of the Lord, will no, not precede those who became asleep.

4:16  Because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the arch-agent, and with a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first,

4:17  then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up simultaneously with them in clouds to the Lord's gathering in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

4:18  Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Chapter 5

5:1  But about the times and the seasons, brothers, ye have no need to be written to you.

5:2  For ye yourselves know accurately that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

5:3  For when they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction approaches them, as the woman having birth pangs in her womb, and they will, no, not escape.

5:4  But ye, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day would seize you as a thief.

5:5  Ye are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

5:6  So then let us not sleep, as also the others, but let us watch and be sober.

5:7  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are intoxicated get drunk at night.

5:8  But we, being of the day, should be sober, putting on a breastplate of faith and love, and a helmet, the hope of salvation.

5:9  Because God appointed us not for wrath, but for an acquired possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.

5:10  So that, whether we are awake or sleep, we should live together with him.

5:11  Therefore encourage each other, and build ye up one by one, just as ye also are doing.

5:12  And we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who labor among you, and who lead you in the Lord, and who admonish you,

5:13  and to esteem them with exceptional love because of their work. Live peaceably among yourselves.

5:14  And we encourage you, brothers, admonish the unruly, strengthen the weak-spirited, help the infirmed, be patient toward all.

5:15  See that not any man repays evil for evil to any man, but always pursue the good, both for each other and for all.

5:16  Rejoice always.

5:17  Pray without ceasing.

5:18  In everything express thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

5:19  Do not quench the Spirit.

5:20  Do not disdain prophecies,

5:21  but examine all things. Hold firm the good.

5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

5:23  And may the God of peace himself sanctify you thoroughly. And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5:24  Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it.

5:25  Brothers, pray about us.

5:26  Salute all the brothers by a holy kiss.

5:27  I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read to all the holy brothers.

5:28  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Truly.