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

PORQUE, hermanos, vosotros mismos sabéis que nuestra entrada á vosotros no fué vana:

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.

Pues aun habiendo padecido antes, y sido afrentados en Filipos, como sabéis, tuvimos denuedo en Dios nuestro para anunciaros el evangelio de Dios con gran combate.

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.

Porque nuestra exhortación no fué de error, ni de inmundicia, ni por engaño;

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.

Sino según fuimos aprobados de Dios para que se nos encargase el evangelio, así hablamos; no como los que agradan á los hombres, sino á Dios, el cual prueba nuestros corazones.

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

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

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.

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

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

Antes fuimos blandos entre vosotros como la que cría, que regala á sus hijos:

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.

Tan amadores de vosotros, que quisiéramos entregaros no sólo el evangelio de Dios, mas aun nuestras propias almas; porque nos erais carísimos.

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.

Porque ya, hermanos, os acordáis de nuestro trabajo y fatiga: que trabajando de noche y de día por no ser gravosos á ninguno de vosotros, os predicamos el evangelio de Dios.

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

Vosotros sois testigos, y Dios, de cuán santa y justa é irreprensiblemente nos condujimos con vosotros que creísteis:

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

Así como sabéis de qué modo exhortábamos y consolábamos á cada uno de vosotros, como el padre á sus hijos,

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.

Y os protestábamos que anduvieseis como es digno de Dios, que os llamó á su reino y gloria.

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.

Por lo cual, también nosotros damos gracias á Dios sin cesar, de que habiendo recibido la palabra de Dios que oísteis de nosotros, recibisteis no palabra de hombres, sino según es en verdad, la palabra de Dios, el cual obra en vosotros los que creísteis.

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.

Porque vosotros, hermanos, habéis sido imitadores de las iglesias de Dios en Cristo Jesús que están en Judea; pues habéis padecido también vosotros las mismas cosas de los de vuestra propia nación, como también ellos de los Judíos;

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.

Los cuales aun mataron al Señor Jesús y á sus propios profetas, y á nosotros nos han perseguido; y no agradan á Dios, y se oponen á todos los hombres;

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.

Prohibiéndonos hablar á los Gentiles, á fin de que se salven, para henchir la medida de sus pecados siempre: pues vino sobre ellos la ira hasta el extremo.

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.

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.

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.

Por lo cual quisimos ir á vosotros, yo Pablo á la verdad, una vez y otra; mas Satanás nos embarazó.

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.

Porque ¿cuál es nuestra esperanza, ó gozo, ó corona de que me gloríe? ¿No sois vosotros, delante de nuestro Señor Jesucristo en su venida?

20 Y ou are our pride and joy.

Que vosotros sois nuestra gloria y gozo.