1 ¶ Porque, hermanos, vosotros mismos sabéis que nuestra entrada a vosotros no fue vana,

Christian brothers, you know that my visit with you was not wasted.

2 p ues aun habiendo padecido antes, y sido afrentados en Filipos, como sabéis, tuvimos denuedo en nuestro Dios para anunciaros el Evangelio de Dios con mucha diligencia.

Just before we came to you, we had been in the city of Philippi. You know how they worked against us and made us suffer. But God helped us preach the Good News to you without fear, even while many people hated us and made it hard for us.

3 P orque nuestra exhortación no fue de error, ni de inmundicia, ni por engaño;

You remember what we said to you was true. We had no wrong desire in teaching you. We did not try to fool you.

4 s ino por haber sido aprobados de Dios para que se nos encargara el Evangelio, así hablamos; no como los que agradan a los hombres, sino a Dios, el cual prueba nuestros corazones.

God has allowed us to be trusted with the Good News. Because of this, we preach it to please God, not man. God tests and proves our hearts.

5 P orque nunca fuimos lisonjeros en la palabra, como sabéis, ni tocados de avaricia; Dios es testigo;

You know we never used smooth-sounding words. God knows we never tried to get money from you by preaching.

6 n i buscamos de los hombres gloria, ni de vosotros, ni de otros, aunque podíamos seros carga como apóstoles de Cristo.

We never looked for thanks from men, not from you or from anyone else. But because we were missionaries of Christ, we could have asked you to do much for us.

7 ¶ Antes fuimos blandos entre vosotros como la que cría, que regala a sus hijos.

Instead, we were gentle when we came to you. We were like a mother caring for her children.

8 T an amadores de vosotros, que quisiéramos entregaros no sólo el Evangelio de Dios, sino aun nuestras propias almas; porque nos sois carísimos.

We had such a strong desire to help you that we were happy to give you the Good News. Because we loved you so much, we were ready to give you our own lives also.

9 P orque ya, hermanos, os acordáis de nuestro trabajo y fatiga; que trabajando de noche y de día por no ser gravosos a ninguno de vosotros, predicamos entre vosotros el Evangelio de Dios.

You remember, Christian brothers, we worked night and day for our food and clothes while we preached the Good News to you. We did not want to make it hard for you.

10 V osotros sois testigos, y Dios, de cuán santa y justa e irreprensiblemente nos condujimos con vosotros que creisteis;

You know, and so does God, how pure and right and without blame we were among you who believe.

11 a sí como sabéis de qué modo exhortábamos y consolábamos a cada uno de vosotros, como el padre a sus hijos,

As a father helps his children, you know how we wanted to help you and give you comfort. We told you with strong words

12 y os encargábamos que anduvierais como es digno de Dios, que os llamó a su Reino y gloria.

that you should live to please God. He is the One Who chose you to come into His holy nation and to share His shining-greatness.

13 ¶ Por lo cual, también nosotros damos gracias a Dios sin cesar, de que habiendo recibido de nosotros la palabra para oír de Dios, la recibisteis no como palabra de hombres, sino (como a la verdad lo es) como palabra de Dios, la cual obra en vosotros los que creisteis.

We always thank God that when you heard the Word of God from us, you believed it. You did not receive it as from men, but you received it as the Word of God. That is what it is. It is at work in the lives of you who believe.

14 P orque vosotros, hermanos, habéis sido imitadores en Cristo Jesús de las Iglesias de Dios que están en Judea; que habéis padecido también vosotros las mismas cosas de los de vuestra propia nación, como también ellos de los judíos;

Christian brothers, you became just like the churches in the country of Judea. You had to suffer from the men in your country as those churches had to suffer from the Jews.

15 l os cuales también mataron al Señor Jesús y a sus propios profetas, y a nosotros nos han perseguido; y no agradan a Dios, y se oponen a todos los hombres;

It was the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the early preachers. The Jews made it hard for us and made us leave. They do not please God and are working against all men.

16 p rohibiéndonos hablar a los gentiles, a fin de que se salven, para llenar la medida de sus pecados siempre, porque la ira (de Dios) los ha alcanzado hasta el extremo.

They tried to keep us from preaching the Good News to the people who are not Jews. The Jews do not want them saved from the punishment of sin. The lives of the Jews are full of more sin all the time. But now God’s anger has come to them at last.

17 ¶ Mas nosotros, hermanos, privados de vosotros por un poco de tiempo, de vista, no de corazón, tanto más procuramos con mucho deseo ver vuestro rostro.

Christian brothers, because we have not been able to be with you, our hearts have been with you. We have wanted very much to see you.

18 P or lo cual quisimos ir a vosotros, yo Pablo a la verdad, una y otra vez; pero Satanás nos estorbó.

We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, have tried to come to you more than once but Satan kept us from coming.

19 P orque ¿cuál es nuestra esperanza, o gozo, o corona de que me gloríe? ¿No lo sois vosotros, delante del Señor nuestro Jesús el Cristo en su venida?

Who is our hope or joy or crown of happiness? It is you, when you stand before our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again.

20 Q ue vosotros sois nuestra gloria y gozo.

You are our pride and joy.