1 C hristian brothers, you know that my visit with you was not wasted.

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

2 J ust 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.

but 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.

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

For our exhortation was not of error nor of uncleanness nor in guile,

4 G od 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.

but 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.

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

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

6 W e 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.

nor 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.

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

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

8 W e 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.

loving 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.

9 Y ou 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.

For 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.

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

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

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

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

12 t hat 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.

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

13 W e 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.

¶ 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.

14 C hristian 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.

For 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,

15 I t 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.

who 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,

16 T hey 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.

forbidding 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.

17 C hristian 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.

¶ 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.

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

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

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

For 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?

20 Y ou are our pride and joy.

For ye are our glory and joy.