1 Thessalonians 2:9–16

⁹For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters. Working^an night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you. ¹⁰You are witnesses,^ao and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously,^ap and blamelessly^aq we conducted ourselves with you believers. ¹¹As you know, like a father with his own children,^{ar 12}we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God,^as who calls you into his own kingdom^at and glory.^au

RECEPTION AND OPPOSITION TO THE MESSAGE

¹³This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is,^av the word of God,^aw which also works effectively in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea,^ax since you have also suffered^ay the same things from people of your own country,^az just as they did from the Jews ¹⁵who killed the Lord Jesus^ba and the prophets and persecuted us.^bb They displease God and are hostile to everyone, ¹⁶by keeping us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are constantly filling up their sins to the limit,^bc and wrath has overtaken them at last.^A