Greet all the brothers and sisters<n id="1" /> with a holy kiss.

As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children,

But you, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

As a result you became an example<n id="1" /> to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

In this way you will live<n id="1" /> a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.<n id="2" />p>

<n id="1" /> although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became<n id="2" /> little children<n id="3" /> among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

For we never appeared<n id="1" /> with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed &#8211; God is our witness &#8211;

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord<n id="1" /> will come in the same way as a thief in the night.<n id="2" />

But since we are of the day, we must stay sober <i>by putting on the breastplatei><n id="1" /> of faith and love and as <i>a helmeti> our hope <i>for salvationi>.<n id="2" />

exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory.

to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel,<n id="1" /> and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Now when<n id="1" /> they are saying, &#8220;There is peace and security,&#8221;<n id="2" /> then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains<n id="3" /> on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

<t /><p class="bodytext">But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> for a short time (in presence, not in affection)<n id="2" /> we became all the more fervent in our great desire<n id="3" /> to see you in person.<n id="4" />

For you recall, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> 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.

And so<n id="1" /> we too constantly thank God that when you received God&#8217;s message that you heard from us,<n id="2" /> you accepted it not as a human message,<n id="3" /> but as it truly is, God&#8217;s message, which is at work among you who believe.

For people everywhere<n id="1" /> report how you welcomed us<n id="2" /> and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

<t /><p class="bodytext">For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> about our coming to you &#8211; it has not proven to be purposeless.<n id="2" />

nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others,

For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.