1 For ye your selues knowe, brethren, that our entrance in vnto you was not in vaine, 2 But euen after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated at Philippi, (as ye knowe) we were bolde in our God, to speake vnto you the Gospell of God with much striuing. 3 For our exhortation was not by deceite, nor by vncleannes, nor by guile. 4 But as we were allowed of God, that the Gospel should be committed vnto vs, so we speake, not as they that please men, but God, which approoueth our hearts. 5 Neither yet did we euer vse flattering wordes, as ye knowe, nor coloured couetousnes, God is recorde. 6 Neither sought we prayse of men, neither of you, nor of others, when we might haue bene chargeable, as the Apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, euen as a nource cherisheth her children. 8 Thus being affectioned toward you, our good will was to haue dealt vnto you, not the Gospel of God onely, but also our owne soules, because ye were deare vnto vs. 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and trauaile: for we laboured day and night, because we would not be chargeable vnto any of you, and preached vnto you the Gospel of God. 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and iustly, and vnblameably we behaued our selues among you that beleeue. 11 As ye knowe how that we exhorted you, and comforted, and besought euery one of you (as a father his children) 12 That ye would walke worthy of God, who hath called you vnto his kingdome and glorie. 13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing, that when ye receiued the worde of God, which ye heard of vs, ye receiued it not as the worde of men, but as it is in deede the worde of God, which also worketh in you that beleeue. 14 For brethren, ye are become folowers of the Churches of God, which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus, because ye haue also suffred the same things of your owne countrey men, euen as they haue of the Iewes, 15 Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets, and haue persecuted vs away, and God they please not, and are contrary to all men, 16 And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles, that they might be saued, to fulfill their sinnes alwayes: for the wrath of God is come on them, to the vtmost. 17 For asmuch, brethren, as we were kept from you for a season, concerning sight, but not in the heart, we enforced the more to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we would haue come vnto you (I Paul, at least once or twise) but Satan hindered vs. 19 For what is our hope or ioye, or crowne of reioycing? are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming? 20 Yea, ye are our glory and ioy.
Paul's Work in Thessalonica
1 Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how we had already been mistreated and insulted in Philippi before we came to you in Thessalonica. And even though there was much opposition, our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes from him. 3 Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor do we try to trick anyone. 4 Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives. 5 You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did we use words to cover up greed—God is our witness! 6 We did not try to get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, 7 even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children. 8 Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! 9 Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.
10 You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct toward you who believe was pure, right, and without fault. 11 You know that we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children. 12 We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we kept urging you to live the kind of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and glory.
13 And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe. 14 Our friends, the same things happened to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your own people that they suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How hostile they are to everyone! 16 They even tried to stop us from preaching to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed. And now God's anger has at last come down on them!
Paul's Desire to Visit Them Again
17 As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little while—not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body—how we missed you and how hard we tried to see you again! 18 We wanted to return to you. I myself tried to go back more than once, but Satan would not let us. 19 After all, it is you—you, no less than others!—who are our hope, our joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes. 20 Indeed, you are our pride and our joy!