Paul and Silas and Timothy to the assembly of Thessalonica in God the Father and The Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace is to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention of you upon our communication of worship, constantly remembering your work of faith and the toil of love, and the patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God our Father, intuitively knowing, beloved brothers, your election from God, because our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in natural ability, and by the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, just as you intuitively know such as we became among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and the Lord, having received the Word in much tribulation with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you have become an example to all those believing in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the Word of the Lord has been sounded not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in all places your faith before God has gone out, so that we have no need to speak anything, for they themselves announce what sort of entrance we had towards you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God and to wait for His Son out from the heavens, who was raised out from the dead, Jesus, our deliverer out from the wrath to come.

For you yourselves intuitively know, brothers, our entrance to you, that it did not come to be empty, but having suffered and been mistreated, just as you intuitively know in Philippi, we had the courage by our God to speak to you the Gospel from God in much agony. For our exhortation was not out from wandering, nor out from uncleanness, nor in deceit¹, but just as we were approved by God to be entrusted the gospel, thus we speak not as pleasers of men, but as to God, who approves our hearts. For never at any time by flattering words did we come, just as you intuitively know, neither of pretense of covetousness, God is witness, nor seeking approval out from men, nor from you, nor from others of the same kind, having the power to be a burden, according as the Apostles of Christ, but gentle in your midst we were caused to come as perhaps a nurse keeps warm her own child, thus, longing for you we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel from God, but also our own souls because you were caused to become beloved to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil. For night and day we worked to not burden any of you, proclaiming to you the gospel from God. You are witnesses, and God, as devoted and righteous and blameless we were to you, the ones believing. Just as you intuitively know as to each one of you, as a father to his own children, exhorting you and encouraging and testifying so that you walk worthy of God, the one having called you into His kingdom and glory.

Because of this we also thank God continually that having received word of God’s report from us, you received not the word of men, but just as it is truly the word of God, which also He is working out in you, the ones who believe. For you, brothers, have become imitators of the churches of God and the ones in Judea in Christ Jesus because you suffered also the same suffering from your own countrymen, just as also they from the Jews, who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, also persecuted us and did not please God, and are hostile to all men. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles in order that they should be saved for the purpose of filling up their sins always. Indeed, wrath will come upon them in the end. But we, brothers, having been orphaned from you for a period of time in presence, not in heart, more abundantly hasten to see your face in great desire. Wherefore we desired to come to you, I Paul and more than once, but Satan has hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Or are you not in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.

Wherefore when we could no longer bear it we thought it good to be left behind in Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother, and servant of God and our fellow worker in the Gospel of the Christ to establish you and exhort you in your faith, so that no one moves you by these afflictions. For you yourselves intuitively know that because of this we are set. For also when we were facing you, we foretold of the coming affliction to you, just as it has come to be and you intuitively know. Because of this I, no longer able to endure, sent to experientially know your faith least the tempter had tempted you, and our labor had become empty.

But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us good news concerning your faith and love, and that you have good remembrance of us always longing to see us just as we are concerning you. Because of this we were comforted, brothers, over you upon our tribulation and distress because of your faith. For now we live, since perhaps you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks are we able to recompense to God concerning you, upon all the joy in which we rejoice because of you, before our God night and day supplicating exceedingly to see your face, and to mend the lacking of your faith. Now may God Himself even our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you and may the Lord increase and abound you in love unto one another and into all, just as also we increase and abound in love unto you, with the result that you are established in your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all of His saints.

Furthermore, brothers, we ask you as equals and implore you in the Lord Jesus to walk just as you received from us how it is necessary for you to walk and please God, in order that you may abound more. For you intuitively know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the desirous will of God; your sanctification, to abstain from fornication, each one of you to intuitively know how to possess his own vessel (body) in sanctification and honor, not in the passions of strong desires just as also the Gentiles who do not intuitively know God. With the result that no one goes beyond and take advantage in the matter his brother because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, just as also we foretold you and testified. For God did not call us unto uncleanness (sexual immorality) but in sanctification. Consequently, the one that regards this as nothing does not regard man as nothing, but God, the One who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning brotherly love, I do not have need to write to you for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another of the same kind (other saints). For also you are doing it to all the brethren in all Macedonia. Indeed we encourage you, brothers, to abound more. And endeavor to be silent and to do your own and to work with your hands just and you were instructed in order that you may walk properly towards those without and not have need.

Now, we do not desire that you are ignorant, brothers, concerning those who sleep in order that you do not grieve as all the remaining who do not have hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose, thus also God will bring those who sleep through Jesus with Him. For this we say to you by a word from the Lord that you, who are alive, the ones remaining unto the coming of the Lord, will not precede the ones who were caused to fall asleep.  For the Lord Himself in a shout by the voice of the archangel and in the trumpet of God will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will be raised first, then we which are alive, the ones remaining, together with them we will be seized in clouds from the Lord into the air and thus we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another by these words.

Indeed of the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need that I should write you, for you yourselves intuitively know that the day of the Lord just as a thief in the night thus it will come. When they will be saying, “Peace and security!”, then suddenly ruin is standing over them, just as a woman having birth pains, and they will not be able to flee away. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, in order that the day as a thief should overtake you, for all of you are sons of light and sons of the day. We are neither of night nor darkness. So then, let us not sleep as also the rest, but we should be alert and sober minded. For those who sleep, sleep in the nighttime and the ones getting drunk, drink in the nighttime. But we are of the day, sober minded, clothed with the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet; the hope of our salvation. For God has not set us into any quality of wrath, but into possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one having died on our behalf, in order that whether we watch or sleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another of the same kind, and one to build up the one², just as also you are doing.

Moreover, we ask as an equal, brothers, to intuitively know the ones laboring among you, and leaders over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to think highly of them exceedingly in love because of their work. You, be at peace among yourselves.

We exhort you, brothers, warn the disorderly, console the weak soul³, hold fast to the weak, longsuffering towards all. See that no one repays evil for evil, but always pursuing good even to one another and unto all, rejoice always, pray continually, in all things give thanks for this is the desirous will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Stop quenching the Spirit. Stop despising prophecy, but examine it for what is good. Hold fast to the proper. Distance yourself from all appearances of malignant evil.

Now may the God of peace sanctify you wholly and keep you wholly; the spirit, the soul, and the body, blameless in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who called you is faithful, who also will do it.

Brothers, pray (worship) concerning us. Greet the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under an oath by the Lord to have this letter read to all the holy brothers.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you, Amen (I believe