1 P aul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the assembly of 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 ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth your faith, and abound doth the love of each one of you all, to one another;

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 do glory in you in the assemblies of God, for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye bear;

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 a token of the righteous judgment of God, for your being counted worthy of the reign of God, for which also ye suffer,

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

6 s ince a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling you -- trouble,

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

7 a nd to you who are troubled -- rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with messengers of his power,

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 i n flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ;

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 shall suffer justice -- destruction age-during -- from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength,

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

10 w hen He may come to be glorified in his saints, and to be wondered at in all those believing -- because our testimony was believed among you -- 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 f or which also we do pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling, and may fulfil all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of the faith in 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 Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and 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.