1 P aul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:

This letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to the church in the city of Thessalonica that belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 G race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 W e are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

We must give thanks to God for you always, Christian brothers. It is the right thing to do because your faith is growing so much. Your love for each other is stronger all the time.

4 s o that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

We are proud of you and tell the other churches about you. We tell them how your faith stays so strong even when people make it hard for you and make you suffer.

5 T his is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, for which you also suffer.

God wants you to prove yourselves to be worth being in His holy nation by suffering for Him.

6 S ince it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

He does what is right and will allow trouble to come to those who are making it hard for you.

7 a nd to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

He will help you and us who are suffering. This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes down from heaven with His powerful angels in a bright fire.

8 g iving vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

He will punish those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 w ho will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

They will be punished forever and taken away from the Lord and from the shining-greatness of His power.

10 w hen he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

On the day He comes, His shining-greatness will be seen in those who belong to Him. On that day, He will receive honor from all those who put their trust in Him. You believed what we had to say to you.

11 T o this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

For this reason, we always pray for you. We pray that our God will make you worth being chosen. We pray that His power will help you do the good things you want to do. We pray that your work of faith will be complete.

12 t hat the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this way, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be honored by you and you will be honored by Him. It is through the loving-favor of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.