LITV - I Thessalonians

Chapter 1

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

1:2  We give thanks to God always concerning you all, making mention of you on our prayers,

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

1:4  knowing brothers, beloved by God, your election.

1:5  For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you know what kind we were among you for your sake.

1:6  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, welcoming the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit.

1:7  So that you became examples to all those believing in Macedonia and Achaia.

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

1:9  For they themselves announce concerning us what kind of entrance we have to you, and how you had turned to God from the idols, to serve the true and living God,

1:10  and to await His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, the One delivering us from the wrath to come.

Chapter 2

2:1  For brothers, you yourselves know our entrance to you, that it has not been without fruit.

2:2  But also suffering before and being insulted in Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak the gospel of God to you in much agony.

2:3  For our exhortation was not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile;

2:4  but even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

2:5  For neither were we then found with words of flattery, even as you know, nor with pretense of covetousness (God is witness),

2:6  nor seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others, having been able to be so with the weight of glory as apostles of Christ.

2:7  But we were gentle in your midst, even as a nurse should warmly cherish her children.

2:8  Longing over you in this way, we were pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you have become beloved to us.

2:9  For, brothers, you remember our labor and toil, night and day, working in order not to put a burden on any one of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

2:10  You and God are witnesses how holily and righteously and blamelessly we were to you, those believing;

2:11  even as you know how I was to each one of you, as a father to his children, exhorting and consoling you,

2:12  testifying for you to walk worthily of God, He calling you to His kingdom and glory.

2:13  And because of this we give thanks to God without ceasing, that having received the Word of hearing from us, you welcomed it as of God, not as a word of men, but as it is, truly the Word of God, which also works in you, the ones believing.

2:14  For, brothers, you became imitators of the churches of God being in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered these things by your own fellow countrymen, as they also by the Jews,

2:15  who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, also driving us out, and not pleasing God, and being contrary to all men,

2:16  hindering us from speaking to the nations in order that they be saved, to fill up their sins always. But the wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

2:17  But, brothers, we being taken away from you for an hour's time, in presence, not in heart, we were much more eager with much desire to see your face.

2:18  Because of this, we desired to come to you, truly I, Paul, both once and twice; but Satan hindered us.

2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are you not even to be before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

2:20  For you are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3

3:1  So no longer enduring, we were pleased to be left in Athens alone,

3:2  and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, in order to establish you and to encourage you concerning your faith,

3:3  that no one be drawn aside by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.

3:4  For even when we were with you, we said to you before that we are about to be afflicted, as it also happened, even you know.

3:5  Because of this, no longer enduring, I also sent to know your faith, that the tempting one not somehow tempt you, and our labor should become to no avail.

3:6  But now Timothy coming to us from you, and announcing good news to us of your love and faith, and that you have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as also we long to see you.

3:7  Because of this we were comforted over you, brothers, on all our affliction and distress through your faith,

3:8  for now we live, if you should stand fast in the Lord.

3:9  For what thanks are we able to return to God concerning you, over all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God,

3:10  night and day praying exceedingly for me to see your face, and to complete the things lacking in your faith?

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

3:12  And may the Lord make you to increase and to abound in love toward one another and toward all, even as we also toward you,

3:13  in order to establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Chapter 4

4:1  For the rest, then brothers, we beg you and we exhort in the Lord Jesus, even as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more.

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

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

4:4  each one of you to know to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

4:5  not in passion of lust, even as also the nations do , not knowing God;

4:6  not to go beyond and to overreach his brother in the matter, because the avenger concerning all these is the Lord, even as we told you before, and solemnly testified.

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

4:8  Therefore, the one that despises does not despise man, but God, even He giving His Holy Spirit to us.

4:9  Now as to brotherly love, you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

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

4:11  And eagerly aspiring to be quiet, and to do your own things, and to work with your own hands, as we enjoined you,

4:12  that you may walk becomingly toward those outside, and that you may have need of nothing.

4:13  But I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who sleep, that you not grieve, as the rest also, not having hope.

4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

4:15  For we say this to you in the Word of the Lord, that we the living who remain to the coming of the Lord not at all will go before those who have fallen asleep.

4:16  Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel's voice, and with God's trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first.

4:17  Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

4:18  So, then, comfort each other with these words.

Chapter 5

5:1  But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for it to be written.

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

5:3  For when they say, Peace and safety! Then suddenly destruction comes upon them, like travail to the pregnant woman, and they shall not at all escape.

5:4  But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you as a thief.

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

5:6  So then, we should not sleep, as the rest also do, but we should watch and be sober.

5:7  For those sleeping sleep by night, and those having been drunk are drunk by night.

5:8  But we being of day should be sober, "having put on the breastplate" of faith and love, and the hope of "salvation as a helmet;" Isa. 59:17

5:9  because God has not appointed us to wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

5:10  He dying on our behalf, so that whether we watch or we sleep, we may live together with Him.

5:11  Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another, as you indeed do.

5:12  But, brothers, we entreat you to know those laboring among you, and taking the lead of you in the Lord, and warning you,

5:13  even esteem them most exceedingly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

5:14  And we exhort you, brothers to warn the disobedient ones, comfort those that are fainthearted, sustain the weak, be long-suffering towards all.

5:15  See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all.

5:16  Rejoice always.

5:17  Pray without ceasing.

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

5:19  Do not quench the Spirit.

5:20  Do not despise prophecies.

5:21  Test all things, hold fast to the good.

5:22  Keep back from every appearance of evil.

5:23  And may the God of peace Himself fully sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5:24  He who calls you is faithful, who also will perform it .

5:25  Brothers, pray concerning us.

5:26  Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

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

5:28  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.