1 Thessalonians 1:1 i 1 Thessalonians 1:8

Paul’s First Letter to the

Thessalonians
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of
the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ:† Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you,
mentioning you in our prayers,
3 remembering without ceasing your work of
faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Fa-
ther.
4 We know, brothers‡ loved by God, that you are
chosen,
5 and that our Good News came to you not in
word only, but also in power, and in the Holy
Spirit and with much assurance. You know what
kind of men we showed ourselves to be among
you for your sake.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord,
having received the word in much affliction, with
joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 so that you became an example to all who
believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8 For from you the word of the Lord has been
declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but
† 1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”. ‡ 1:4 The word for
“brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly
translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
1 Thessalonians 1:9 ii 1 Thessalonians 2:8

also in every place your faith toward God has gone

out, so that we need not to say anything.
9 For they themselves report concerning us
what kind of a reception we had from you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve a living
and true God,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he
raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from
the wrath to come.
2
1 For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to
you wasn’t in vain,
2 but having suffered before and been shame-
fully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew
bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God
in much conflict.
3 For our exhortation is not of error, nor of
uncleanness, nor in deception.
4 But even as we have been approved by God to
be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—
not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.
5 For neither were we at any time found using
words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of
covetousness (God is witness),
6 nor seeking glory from men (neither from you
nor from others), when we might have claimed
authority as apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing
mother cherishes her own children.
8 Even so, affectionately longing for you, we
were well pleased to impart to you not the Good
News of God only, but also our own souls, because
you had become very dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:9 iii 1 Thessalonians 2:17

9For you remember, brothers, our labor and

travail; for working night and day, that we might
not burden any of you, we preached to you the
Good News of God.
10 You are witnesses with God how holy, righ-
teously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves
toward you who believe.
11 As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and
implored every one of you, as a father does his
own children,
12 to the end that you should walk worthily of
God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and
glory.
13 For this cause we also thank God without
ceasing that when you received from us the word
of the message of God, you accepted it not as the
word of men, but as it is in truth, God’s word,
which also works in you who believe.
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the
assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ
Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from
your own countrymen, even as they did from the
Jews
15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own
prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God,
and are contrary to all men,
16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that
they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But
wrath has come on them to the uttermost.
17 But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a
short season in presence, not in heart, tried even
harder to see your face with great desire,
1 Thessalonians 2:18 iv 1 Thessalonians 3:8

18 because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I,

Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus†
at his coming?
20 For you are our glory and our joy.

3
1 Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any
longer, we thought it good to be left behind at
Athens alone,
2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s ser-
vant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you
and to comfort you concerning your faith,
3 that no one would be moved by these afflic-
tions. For you know that we are appointed to this
task.
4 For most certainly, when we were with you,
we told you beforehand that we are to suffer
affliction, even as it happened, and you know.
5 For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it
any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for
fear that by any means the tempter had tempted
you, and our labor would have been in vain.
6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you,
and brought us glad news of your faith and love,
and that you have good memories of us always,
longing to see us, even as we also long to see you.
7 For this cause, brothers, we were comforted
over you in all our distress and affliction through
your faith.
8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

† 2:19 TR adds “Christ”

1 Thessalonians 3:9 v 1 Thessalonians 4:6

9 For what thanksgiving can we render again to

God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice
for your sakes before our God,
10 night and day praying exceedingly that we
may see your face and may perfect that which is
lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our
Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
12 May the Lord make you to increase and
abound in love toward one another and toward all
men, even as we also do toward you,
13 to the end he may establish your hearts
blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Finally
4
then, brothers, we beg and exhort you
in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us
how you ought to walk and to please God, that you
abound more and more.
2 For you know what instructions we gave you
through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification,
that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4 that each one of you know how to control his
own body† in sanctification and honor,
5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles
who don’t know God,
6 that no one should take advantage of and
wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because
the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also
we forewarned you and testified.
† 4:4 literally, possess his own vessel
1 Thessalonians 4:7 vi 1 Thessalonians 4:17

7For God called us not for uncleanness, but in

sanctification.
8 Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject
man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit
to you.
9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no
need that one write to you. For you yourselves are
taught by God to love one another,
10 for indeed you do it toward all the brothers
who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you,
brothers, that you abound more and more;
11 and that you make it your ambition to lead
a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to
work with your own hands, even as we instructed
you,
12 that you may walk properly toward those
who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
13 But we don’t want you to be ignorant, broth-
ers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so
that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no
hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so God will bring with him those who
have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive, who are left until the com-
ing of the Lord, will in no way precede those who
have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in
Christ will rise first,
17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be
1 Thessalonians 4:18 vii 1 Thessalonians 5:11

caught up together with them in the clouds to

meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the
Lord forever.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these
words.

5
1But concerning the times and the seasons,
brothers, you have no need that anything be writ-
ten to you.
2 For you yourselves know well that the day of
the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
3 For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,”
then sudden destruction will come on them, like
birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will
in no way escape.
4 But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the
day should overtake you like a thief.
5 You are all children of light and children of the
day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness,
6 so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s
watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and
those who are drunk are drunk in the night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and
for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to
the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ,
10 who died for us, that, whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Therefore exhort one another, and build each
other up, even as you also do.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 viii 1 Thessalonians 5:28

12 But we beg you, brothers, to know those who

labor among you, and are over you in the Lord
and admonish you,
13 and to respect and honor them in love for
their work’s sake.
Be at peace among yourselves.
14 We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the dis-
orderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the
weak; be patient toward all.
15 See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone,
but always follow after that which is good for one
another and for all.
16 Always rejoice.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
19 Don’t quench the Spirit.
20 Don’t despise prophecies.
21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is
good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you
completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body
be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who will also do
it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I solemnly command you by the Lord that this
letter be read to all the holy brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen.
 ix

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