1 ¶ For you yourselves, brethren, know that our entrance unto you was not vain,

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming among you was not useless and fruitless.

2 b ut having suffered before and having been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to announce unto you the gospel of God with much diligence.

But though we had already suffered and been outrageously treated at Philippi, as you know, yet in our God we summoned courage to proclaim to you unfalteringly the good news (the Gospel) with earnest contention and much conflict and great opposition.

3 F or our exhortation was not of error nor of uncleanness nor in guile,

For our appeal does not from delusion or error or impure purpose or motive, nor in fraud or deceit.

4 b ut because we have been approved of God that he might entrust us with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings (the Gospel), so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who tests our hearts '> expecting them to be approved].

5 F or we were never flatterers in the word, as ye know, nor tainted with covetousness, God is witness,

For as you well know, we never resorted either to words of flattery or to any cloak to conceal greedy motives or pretexts for gain, God is our witness.

6 n or did we seek glory of men neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome unto you as the apostles of Christ.

Nor did we seek to extract praise and honor and glory from men, either from you or from anyone else, though we might have asserted our authority as apostles (special missionaries) of Christ (the Messiah).

7 ¶ But we were gentle among you, as a mother feeding and caring for her children,

But we behaved gently when we were among you, like a devoted mother nursing and cherishing her own children.

8 l oving you so much, that we were willing to give unto you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls, because ye are dear unto us.

So, being thus tenderly and affectionately desirous of you, we continued to share with you not only God’s good news (the Gospel) but also our own lives as well, for you had become so very dear to us.

9 F or ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for labouring night and day, not to be a burden unto any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.

For you recall our hard toil and struggles, brethren. We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the Gospel) of God to you.

10 Y e are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and just and irreprehensible our behaviour was among you that believe,

You are witnesses, and God, how unworldly and upright and blameless was our behavior toward you believers.

11 a s ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children,

For you know how, as a father his children, we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you

12 t hat ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

To live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and the glorious blessedness '> into which true believers will enter after Christ’s return].

13 ¶ For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that having received from us the word to hear from God, ye received it not as the word of men, (but as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually works in you that believe.

And we also thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe '> exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

14 F or ye, brethren, have been imitators in Christ Jesus of the congregations of God which are in Judaea, for ye also have suffered like things of your own nation, even as they have of the Jews,

For you, brethren, became imitators of the assemblies (churches) of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you too have suffered the same kind of treatment from your own fellow countrymen as they did of the Jews,

15 w ho killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

Who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and harassed and drove us out, and continue to make themselves hateful and offensive to God and to show themselves foes of all men,

16 f orbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their sins always, for the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

Forbidding and hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles (the nations) that they may be saved. So as always they fill up their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

17 ¶ But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly with great desire to see your face.

But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a little while in person, not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great longing to see you face to face,

18 T herefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.

Because it was our will to come to you. I, Paul, again and again, but Satan hindered and impeded us.

19 F or what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

For what is our hope or happiness or our victor’s wreath of exultant triumph when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

20 F or ye are our glory and joy.

For you are our glory and our joy!