1 P ORQUE, hermanos, vosotros mismos sabéis que nuestra entrada á vosotros no fué vana:

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

2 P ues 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.

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

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

4 S ino 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 P orque 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 P or 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.

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 P orque 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;

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 L os 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;

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 P rohibiéndonos 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.

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

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

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

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

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 Q ue vosotros sois nuestra gloria y gozo.

For you are our glory and our joy!