1 F or you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain,

Christian brothers, you know that my visit with you was not wasted.

2 b ut having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.

Just 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.

3 F or our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.

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

4 B ut even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

God 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.

5 F or neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

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

6 n or seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.

We 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.

7 B ut we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

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

8 E ven so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

We 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.

9 F or you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

You 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.

10 Y ou are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.

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

11 A s you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,

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

12 t o the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

that 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.

13 F or this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

We 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.

14 F or you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;

Christian 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.

15 w ho killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men;

It 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.

16 f orbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

They 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.

17 B ut we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

Christian 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.

18 b ecause we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us.

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

19 F or what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

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

20 F or you are our glory and our joy.

You are our pride and joy.