1 Thessalonians 2

¹ For you yourselves are aware, brethren, that our entrance to you has not come to be for naught, ² but, though suffering before and being outraged in Philippi, according as you are aware, we are bold in our God to speak the evangel of God to you with a vast struggle. ³ For our entreaty is not out of deception, nor yet out of uncleanness, nor yet with guile ⁴ but, according as we have been tested by God to be entrusted with the evangel, thus are we speaking, not as pleasing men, but God, Who is testing our hearts. ⁵ For neither did we at any time become flattering in expression, according as you are aware; neither with a pretense for greed, God is witness; ⁶ neither seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others, when we could be a burden as Christ's apostles. ⁷ But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse should be cherishing her own children. ⁸ Thus being ardently attached to you, we are delighting to share with you not only the evangel of God, but our own souls also, because you came to be beloved by us. ⁹ For you remember, brethren, our toil and labor: working night and day so as not to be burdensome to any of you, we herald to you the evangel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and God, how benignly and justly and blamelessly we became to you who are believing, ¹¹ even as you are aware how we were to each one of you, as a father to his own children, consoling and comforting you and attesting unto you ¹² to be walking worthily of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. ¹³ And therefore we also are thanking God unintermittingly that, in accepting the word heard from us, from God you receive, not the word of men, but, according as it truly is, the word of God, which is operating also in you who are believing. ¹⁴ For you became imitators, brethren, of the ecclesias of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you suffered the same, even you by your own fellowtribesmen, according as they also by the Jews, ¹⁵ who kill the Lord Jesus as well as the prophets, and banish us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men, ¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the nations that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. Yet the indignation outstrips to them to a consummation. ¹⁷ Now we, brethren, being bereaved of you for the period of an hour, in face, not in heart, endeavor the more exceedingly to see your face, with much yearning, ¹⁸ because we want to come to you, indeed, I, Paul, once - even twice - and Satan hinders us. ¹⁹ For who is our expectation, or joy, or wreath of glorying? Or is it not even you, in front of our Lord Jesus, in His presence? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.