who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets ¹  and persecuted us severely. ²  They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,

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

For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) ¹  but Satan thwarted us.

For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know. ¹ 

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

From Paul ¹  and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians ²  in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you! ³ 

Brothers and sisters, ¹  pray for us too.

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, ¹  because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, ²  as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

But now Timothy has come ¹  to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection ²  and long to see us just as we also long to see you! ³ 

He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this. ¹ 

But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate ¹  of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. ² 

because we recall ¹  in the presence of our God and Father ²  your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope ³  in our Lord Jesus Christ.

in that ¹  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ²  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ³ 

We ¹  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ²  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

Finally then, brothers and sisters, ¹  we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how ²  you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) ³  that you do so more and more.

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.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received ¹  the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.

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.