¹For ye know yourselves, brethren, our entering in which we had to you, that it has not been in vain; ²but, having suffered before and been insulted, even as ye know, in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the glad tidings of God with much earnest striving. ³For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; ⁴but even as we have been approved of God to have the glad tidings entrusted to us, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who proves our hearts. ⁵For we have not at any time been among you with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God is witness; ⁶nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have been a charge as Christ’s apostles;

⁷but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children. ⁸Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, because ye had become beloved of us. ⁹For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, not to be chargeable to any one of you, we have preached to you the glad tidings of God. ¹⁰Ye are witnesses, and God, how piously and righteously and blamelessly we have conducted ourselves with you that believe: ¹¹as ye know how, as a father his own children, we used to exhort each one of you, and comfort and testify, ¹²that ye should walk worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.

¹³And for this cause we also give thanks to God unceasingly that, having received the word of the report of God by us, ye accepted, not men’s word, but, even as it is truly, God’s word, which also works in you who believe. ¹⁴For ye, brethren, have become imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; for ye also have suffered the same things of your own countrymen as also they of the Jews, ¹⁵who have both slain the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have driven us out by persecution, and do not please God, and are against all men, ¹⁶forbidding us to speak to the nations that they may be saved, that they may fill up their sins always: but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

¹⁷But we, brethren, having been bereaved of you and separated for a little moment in person, not in heart, have used more abundant diligence to see your face with much desire; ¹⁸wherefore we have desired to come to you, even I Paul, both once and twice, and Satan has hindered us. ¹⁹For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting? are not ye also before our Lord Jesus at his coming? ²⁰for ye are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3

¹Wherefore, being no longer able to refrain ourselves, we thought good to be left alone in Athens, ²and sent Timotheus, our brother and fellow-workman under God in the glad tidings of Christ, to confirm you and encourage you concerning your faith, ³that no one might be moved by these afflictions. (For yourselves know that we are set for this; ⁴for also, when we were with you, we told you beforehand we are about to be in tribulation, even as also it came to pass, and ye know.) ⁵For this reason I also, no longer able to refrain myself, sent to know your faith, lest perhaps the tempter had tempted you and our labour should be come to nothing.

⁶But Timotheus having just come to us from you, and brought to us the glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have always good remembrance of us, desiring much to see us, even as we also you; ⁷for this reason we have been comforted in you, brethren, in all our distress and tribulation, through your faith, ⁸because now we live if ye stand firm in the Lord. ⁹For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we rejoice on account of you before our God, ¹⁰night and day beseeching exceedingly to the end that we may see your face, and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹But our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you. ¹²But you, may the Lord make to exceed and abound in love toward one another, and toward all, even as we also towards you, ¹³in order to the confirming of your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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