Chapter 1
1 Paul, Silas, and Timothy write to the Thessalonian church that belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive grace and peace from our God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We always thank God for all of you. We remember you and pray for you.
3 We keep remembering the works you do because of your faith. You love God that is why you serve Him and show patience. This helps you have hope in the Lord Jesus Christ who is in the presence of our God the Father.
4 Brothers, you know that God chose you, and He loves you.
5 When we brought you the Good News about Christ, it was not just words. We preached with power and in the Holy Spirit. And it convinced you that we spoke the truth. You know that we showed you an example.
6 We lived like Jesus did, and you began to imitate us and the Lord. You went through a lot of sufferings, but you accepted the Word of God and rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.
7 So you became an example for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 The Word of God sounded out not only there. You have also spread your faith in God to other places where we have not yet been. And when we go there, we do not need to say anything about ourselves.
9 Instead, those people themselves tell how we visited you and how you abandoned idols and began to serve the living and true God.
10 God raised His Son from the dead, and now you are waiting for the Son of God to come down from heaven. God will soon pour out His wrath on people for their sins, but Jesus will save us from God’s anger.
Chapter 2
1 Brothers, you know that our ministry brought fruit when we visited you last time.
2 But before we came to you, people treated us harshly in Philippi, and we went through suffering there. You know that God gave us courage, and we preached to you the Good News about God in spite of great opposition.
3 When we teach people, we do not deceive them. We do not have wrong desires, and we do not trick people.
4 God made us worthy to serve Him. He entrusted us to preach the Good News about Christ. When we speak about Jesus, we please God, not people. And He watches what is happening in our hearts.
5 You know that we never flattered you. And God can confirm that we did not try to take advantage of you.
6 We do not want you or anyone else to praise us.
7 We are the apostles of Christ. We could exercise our authority over you, but we behaved quietly. We gently cared for you as a nursing mother cares for her children.
8 We loved you. That is why we wanted you not only to accept the Good News about God, but also to understand what is happening in our hearts.
9 Brothers, do you remember how we preached the Good News about God to you? We worked so hard that we felt extremely exhausted. We labored day and night because we did not want to become a burden to any of you.
10 And you, believers, can confirm that we behaved towards you in a holy, just, and blameless manner. God can also confirm it.
11 You know that we treated each one of you as a father treats his children.
12 When God called you to Himself, you entered His Kingdom and saw His glory. That is why we asked, convinced, and urged you to live according to the requirements of God.
13 We continuously thank God for you. When we preached to you, you accepted the Word of God as if the Word was spoken by God, not by a man. And, for sure, the Word of God is the truth, so you believe in it and it works in you.
14 The churches located in Judea belong to God. They believe in Jesus Christ that is why the Jews began to persecute them. Brothers, the same thing happened to you as it did to those churches. You also went through sufferings from your own people.
15 The Jews killed the Lord Jesus and His prophets. They also persecute us. The Jews oppose God and are hostile to all people.
16 When we speak to the Gentiles about salvation, the Jews hinder us. In this way, the Jews keep filling up the measure of their sins. But the end is coming near, and God will pour out His wrath on the Jews.
17 Brothers, for a short time we were separated from you. And we have a strong desire to see you again because you remain in our hearts.
18 We wanted to visit you. I, Paul, tried to do this once and then a second time, but Satan created obstacles for us.
19 But we hope that you keep serving God. And when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth, we will see you and rejoice with you. Then God will praise us and reward us for our ministry to you.
20 We will rejoice because God will say that we served well among you.
Chapter 3
1 We decided to stay in Athens because of the difficulties.
2 But we sent to you our brother Timothy who serves God. He works along with us and spreads the Good News about Christ. Timothy can support you and strengthen your faith.
3 You know that in this life, we cannot avoid persecutions and troubles. So do not panic, if you are going through sufferings.
4 When we visited you last time, we predicted that we would go through sufferings. And you know that everything happened as we told you.
5 I could not visit you, so I did not wait any longer and sent Timothy to you. I wanted to know if you live by faith. I was concerned that the tempter might mislead you, and our work would not bring results.
6 But Timothy has already returned and brought us good news about you. We know that you continue to believe in God and love one another. You always speak kindly of us, and you want to see us as much as we want to see you.
7 Brothers, we go through sufferings and live in need. But you encouraged us by the way you believe in God.
8 You keep following the Lord, and it brings life to us.
9 How can we give enough thanks to God for you? Because of you, we experience great joy when we enter the presence of our God.
10 Day and night we pray earnestly for you. We would like to see you in order to share what is missing in your faith.
11 May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ help us arrange our journey to you.
12 The Lord filled us with love that is why we love you. May He also fill you with love so that you can love one another and all people.
13 Love others, and it will make your hearts strong. God’s holiness will purify your hearts and make you blameless in the eyes of God. Then you will be able to stand in the presence of God the Father when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to the earth with all the holy people of God. Amen.
Chapter 4
1 Brothers, we taught you how you should behave and please God. So in the name of Jesus Christ we ask and encourage you to please God with your actions more and more.
2 You know the commandments that we gave you from the Lord Jesus.
3 Submit to the will of God and cleanse yourselves from sin. Do not take part in sexual immorality.
4 Each of you must control the desires of your body. Live a holy life and don’t indulge in sexual immorality.
5 Do not behave like the Gentiles. They do not know God, they satisfy their lust and destroy themselves with their harmful habits.
6 Do not take advantage of your brothers. Do not deceive one another for your own interest. We spoke about it before and taught you that the Lord will bring revenge for such actions.
7 Do not follow your evil desires because God called us to live a holy life.
8 He who rejects our teaching, does not reject a man, but God who gave us His Holy Spirit.
9 I have no need to write about brotherly love because God teaches you to love one another.
10 You treat with love all the believers who live in Macedonia. Brothers, we would like to encourage you to love one another more and more.
11 Put all your efforts to follow what we taught you. Live in peace with one another, mind your business and labor with your hands.
12 Then you will lack nothing. And also you should behave with unbelievers in a good manner.
13 Brothers, I want you to know what will happen to the believers who have already died. Do not grieve like other people who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and was resurrected. We also believe that when He returns to the earth, God will bring with Him the believers who have already died.
15 We speak to you the Word of the Lord. First, the coming of the Lord will see those believers who have already died. Then we who remained on the earth will see Jesus.
16 On that day the most high angel will lift up his voice, God’s trumpet will sound, and the Lord Himself will come down from heaven. First, God will resurrect those people who believed in Christ.
17 After that we who remained on the earth will rise up in the clouds with the resurrected people. And we will meet the Lord in the air. In this way, we will be united with Him forever.
18 So comfort one another with these words.
Chapter 5
1 Brothers, I have no need to write about times and seasons.
2 You already know that the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief comes at night.
3 When people say, “Peace and security”, suddenly disaster will fall upon them. As a pregnant woman cannot escape the pain of childbirth, so no one cannot escape the coming of the Lord.
4 Brothers, you do not live in darkness. So the day of the Lord will not surprise you like a thief who comes in the night.
5 You all were born of light during the day. We were not born of darkness during the night.
6 That is why you should not sleep like other people. Do not lose your interest in spiritual things. You should live a sober life.
7 One person sleeps at night, and another one gets drunk.
8 We were born during the day so we should live soberly. We believe in God and treat people with love, and it protects us like armor. And on our head we put the confidence in salvation which protects us like a helmet.
9 God decided in advance that He would not pour out His wrath on us. And we received salvation because our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for us.
10 Some of us will be alive, and others will already be dead when the Lord returns to the earth. But God will resurrect us so that we can live with Christ.
11 That is why you should continue to comfort and strengthen one another’s faith with these words.
12 Brothers, we urge you to respect the ministers whom God appointed over you. They serve among you and teach you the Word of God.
13 Love and appreciate them for what they do. Live in peace with one another.
14 Brothers, we urge you to correct those who are making a mess of their lives. Encourage the believers who live in fear. Support those whose faith is weak. And be exceedingly patient with all people.
15 Watch that no one pays back evil for evil. Always make every effort to do good to one another and to everyone around you.
16 Rejoice always.
17 Pray regularly.
18 You belong to Jesus Christ. And God wants you to thank Him in all circumstances.
19 Do not quench the fire of the Holy Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Examine everything and hold on to what is right.
22 Do not participate in any evil activities.
23 God is the source of peace. And may He Himself sanctify you completely. May God fully keep your spirit, soul, and body safe from sin until the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth.
24 God will do it because He called you to Himself so that you could see His faithfulness.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 In the name of the Lord I urge you to read this letter to all the holy people of God.
28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ remain with you. Amen.