THE
FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE
Thessalonians
1:1: Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians
which is 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.
1:2: We
give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 1:3: Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and
our Father; 1:4: Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 1:5:
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in
the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we
were among you for your sake. 1:6: And ye became followers of us, and of
the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the
Holy Ghost: 1:7: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia
and Achaia. 1:8: For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only
in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward
is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 1:9: For they
themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how
ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 1:10: And
to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,
which delivered us from the wrath to come. 2:1: For yourselves, brethren,
know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2:2: But even after
that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know,
at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God
with much contention. 2:3: For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of
uncleanness, nor in guile: 2:4: But as we were allowed of God to be put
in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God,
which trieth our hearts. 2:5: For neither at any time used we flattering
words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 2:6: Nor
of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might
have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 2:7: But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 2:8: So being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel
of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 2:9:
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night
and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached
unto you the gospel of God. 2:10: Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily
and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
2:11: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of
you, as a father doth his children, 2:12: That ye would walk worthy of
God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 2:13: For this cause
also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of
God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as
it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe. 2:14: For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches
of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 2:15: Who
both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted
us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 2:16: Forbidding
us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their
sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 2:17: But
we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in
heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
2:18: Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again;
but Satan hindered us. 2:19: For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at
his coming? 2:20: For ye are our glory and joy. 3:1: Wherefore when we
could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
3:2: And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer
in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning
your faith: 3:3: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for
yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 3:4: For verily, when
we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation;
even as it came to pass, and ye know. 3:5: For this cause, when I could
no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter
have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. 3:6: But now when Timotheus
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: 3:7: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted
over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: 3:8: For now
we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 3:9: For what thanks can we render
to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before
our God; 3:10: Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your
face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 3:11: Now
God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto
you. 3:12: And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward
another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 3:13: To the end
he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our
Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 4:1:
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus,
that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God,
so ye would abound more and more. 4:2: For ye know what commandments we
gave you by the Lord Jesus. 4:3: For this is the will of God, even your
sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4:4: That every
one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and
honour; 4:5: Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which
know not God: 4:6: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any
matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have
forewarned you and testified. 4:7: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. 4:8: He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man,
but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 4:9: But as touching
brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are
taught of God to love one another. 4:10: And indeed ye do it toward all
the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren,
that ye increase more and more; 4:11: And that ye study to be quiet, and
to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded
you; 4:12: That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and
that ye may have lack of nothing. 4:13: But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him. 4:15: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep. 4:16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17: Then we which 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. 4:18: Wherefore
comfort one another with these words. 5:1: But of the times and the seasons,
brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 5:2: For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 5:3:
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
5:4: But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief. 5:5: Ye are all the children of light, and the children
of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 5:6: Therefore let
us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 5:7: For they
that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in
the night. 5:8: But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
5:9: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by
our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10: Who died for us, that, whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together with him. 5:11: Wherefore comfort yourselves
together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 5:12: And we beseech
you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in
the Lord, and admonish you; 5:13: And to esteem them very highly in love
for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 5:14: Now we exhort
you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support
the weak, be patient toward all men. 5:15: See that none render evil for
evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves,
and to all men. 5:16: Rejoice evermore. 5:17: Pray without ceasing. 5:18:
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you. 5:19: Quench not the Spirit. 5:20: Despise not prophesyings.
5:21: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 5:22: Abstain from
all appearance of evil. 5:23: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24: Faithful is he that calleth
you, who also will do it. 5:25: Brethren, pray for us. 5:26: Greet all
the brethren with an holy kiss. 5:27: I charge you by the Lord that this
epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. 5:28: The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
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