constantly pray,

And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.

For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you?

For the appeal we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit,

For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

For how can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel because of you before our God?

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.

For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Stay away from every form of evil.

For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.

because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.

For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.

He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him.

For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.