1 T his letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to you, the church, in the city of Thessalonica. You belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May you have His loving-favor and His peace.

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 W e thank God for you all the time and pray for you.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 W hile praying to God our Father, we always remember your work of faith and your acts of love and your hope that never gives up in our Lord Jesus Christ.

constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

4 C hristian brothers, we know God loves you and that He has chosen you.

knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

5 T he Good News did not come to you by word only, but with power and through the Holy Spirit. You knew it was true. You also knew how we lived among you. It was for your good.

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

6 Y ou followed our way of life and the life of the Lord. You suffered from others because of listening to us. But you had the joy that came from the Holy Spirit.

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

7 B ecause of your good lives, you are showing all the Christians in the countries of Macedonia and Greece how to live.

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

8 T he Word of the Lord has been spoken by you in the countries of Macedonia and Greece. People everywhere know of your faith in God without our telling them.

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

9 T he people themselves tell us how you received us when we came to you. They talk of how you turned to God from worshiping false gods. Now you worship the true and living God.

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

10 T hey tell us how you are waiting for His Son Jesus to come down from heaven. God raised Him from the dead. It is Jesus Who will save us from the anger of God that is coming.

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.