1st Thessalonians

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for they themselves report what kind of
reception you gave us. They tell how
1Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the you turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God,
church of the Thessalonians in God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace 10
and peace to you. and to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead--Jesus,
2 who rescues us from the coming wrath.
We always thank God for all of you,
mentioning you in our prayers.

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We continually remember before our
2You know, brothers, that our visit to
God and Father your work produced by you was not a failure.
faith, your labor prompted by love, and
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your endurance inspired by hope in our We had previously suffered and been
Lord Jesus Christ. insulted in Philippi, as you know, but
with the help of our God we dared to tell
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For we know, brothers loved by God, you his gospel in spite of strong
that he has chosen you, opposition.

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because our gospel came to you not For the appeal we make does not
simply with words, but also with power, spring from error or impure motives, nor
with the Holy Spirit and with deep are we trying to trick you.
conviction. You know how we lived
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among you for your sake. On the contrary, we speak as men
approved by God to be entrusted with
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You became imitators of us and of the the gospel. We are not trying to please
Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you men but God, who tests our hearts.
welcomed the message with the joy
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given by the Holy Spirit. You know we never used flattery, nor
did we put on a mask to cover up greed-
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And so you became a model to all the -God is our witness.
believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
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We were not looking for praise from
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The Lord's message rang out from you men, not from you or anyone else.
not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your
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faith in God has become known As apostles of Christ we could have
everywhere. Therefore we do not need been a burden to you, but we were
to say anything about it, gentle among you, like a mother caring
for her little children.
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We loved you so much that we were their sins to the limit. The wrath of God
delighted to share with you not only the has come upon them at last.
gospel of God but our lives as well,
because you had become so dear to us. 17
But, brothers, when we were torn
away from you for a short time (in
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Surely you remember, brothers, our toil person, not in thought), out of our
and hardship; we worked night and day intense longing we made every effort to
in order not to be a burden to anyone see you.
while we preached the gospel of God to
you. 18
For we wanted to come to you--
certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--
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You are witnesses, and so is God, of but Satan stopped us.
how holy, righteous and blameless we
were among you who believed. 19
For what is our hope, our joy, or the
crown in which we will glory in the
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For you know that we dealt with each presence of our Lord Jesus when he
of you as a father deals with his own comes? Is it not you?
children,
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Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
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encouraging, comforting and urging
you to live lives worthy of God, who calls
you into his kingdom and glory. 3So when we could stand it no longer,
13 we thought it best to be left by ourselves
And we also thank God continually in Athens.
because, when you received the word of
God, which you heard from us, you 2
accepted it not as the word of men, but We sent Timothy, who is our brother
as it actually is, the word of God, which and God's fellow worker in spreading
is at work in you who believe. the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and
encourage you in your faith,
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For you, brothers, became imitators of 3
God's churches in Judea, which are in so that no one would be unsettled by
Christ Jesus: You suffered from your these trials. You know quite well that we
own countrymen the same things those were destined for them.
churches suffered from the Jews, 4
In fact, when we were with you, we kept
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who killed the Lord Jesus and the telling you that we would be persecuted.
prophets and also drove us out. They And it turned out that way, as you well
displease God and are hostile to all men know.

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in their effort to keep us from speaking For this reason, when I could stand it
to the Gentiles so that they may be no longer, I sent to find out about your
saved. In this way they always heap up faith. I was afraid that in some way the
tempter might have tempted you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this
our efforts might have been useless. more and more.

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But Timothy has just now come to us For you know what instructions we
from you and has brought good news gave you by the authority of the Lord
about your faith and love. He has told us Jesus.
that you always have pleasant
memories of us and that you long to see 3
It is God's will that you should be
us, just as we also long to see you. sanctified: that you should avoid sexual
immorality;
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Therefore, brothers, in all our distress
and persecution we were encouraged 4
that each of you should learn to control
about you because of your faith. his own body in a way that is holy and
honorable,
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For now we really live, since you are
standing firm in the Lord. 5
not in passionate lust like the heathen,
who do not know God;
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How can we thank God enough for you
in return for all the joy we have in the 6
and that in this matter no one should
presence of our God because of you? wrong his brother or take advantage of
him. The Lord will punish men for all
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Night and day we pray most earnestly such sins, as we have already told you
that we may see you again and supply and warned you.
what is lacking in your faith.
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For God did not call us to be impure,
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Now may our God and Father himself but to live a holy life.
and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us
to come to you. 8
Therefore, he who rejects this
instruction does not reject man but God,
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May the Lord make your love increase who gives you his Holy Spirit.
and overflow for each other and for
everyone else, just as ours does for you. 9
Now about brotherly love we do not
need to write to you, for you yourselves
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May he strengthen your hearts so that have been taught by God to love each
you will be blameless and holy in the other.
presence of our God and Father when
our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy 10
And in fact, you do love all the
ones. brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we
urge you, brothers, to do so more and
more.
4Finally, brothers, we instructed you 11
how to live in order to please God, as in Make it your ambition to lead a quiet
fact you are living. Now we ask you and life, to mind your own business and to
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work with your hands, just as we told for you know very well that the day of
you, the Lord will come like a thief in the
night.
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so that your daily life may win the
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respect of outsiders and so that you will While people are saying, "Peace and
not be dependent on anybody. safety," destruction will come on them
suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant
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Brothers, we do not want you to be woman, and they will not escape.
ignorant about those who fall asleep, or
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to grieve like the rest of men, who have But you, brothers, are not in darkness
no hope. so that this day should surprise you like
a thief.
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We believe that Jesus died and rose
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again and so we believe that God will You are all sons of the light and sons of
bring with Jesus those who have fallen the day. We do not belong to the night
asleep in him. or to the darkness.

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According to the Lord's own word, we So then, let us not be like others, who
tell you that we who are still alive, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-
are left till the coming of the Lord, will controlled.
certainly not precede those who have
fallen asleep. 7
For those who sleep, sleep at night,
and those who get drunk, get drunk at
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For the Lord himself will come down night.
from heaven, with a loud command, with
the voice of the archangel and with the 8
But since we belong to the day, let us
trumpet call of God, and the dead in be self-controlled, putting on faith and
Christ will rise first. love as a breastplate, and the hope of
salvation as a helmet.
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After that, we who are still alive and
are left will be caught up together with 9
For God did not appoint us to suffer
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in wrath but to receive salvation through
the air. And so we will be with the Lord our Lord Jesus Christ.
forever.
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He died for us so that, whether we are
Therefore encourage each other with awake or asleep, we may live together
these words. with him.

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Therefore encourage one another and
5Now, brothers, about times and dates build each other up, just as in fact you
we do not need to write to you, are doing.
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Now we ask you, brothers, to respect do not treat prophecies with contempt.
those who work hard among you, who
are over you in the Lord and who 21
Test everything. Hold on to the good.
admonish you.
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Avoid every kind of evil.
Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work. Live in peace 23
May God himself, the God of peace,
with each other.
sanctify you through and through. May
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your whole spirit, soul and body be kept
And we urge you, brothers, warn those blameless at the coming of our Lord
who are idle, encourage the timid, help Jesus Christ.
the weak, be patient with everyone.
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The one who calls you is faithful and
Make sure that nobody pays back he will do it.
wrong for wrong, but always try to be
kind to each other and to everyone else. 25
Brothers, pray for us.
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Be joyful always; 26
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
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pray continually; 27
I charge you before the Lord to have
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this letter read to all the brothers.
give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 28
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
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with you.
Do not put out the Spirit's fire;