1 Thessalonians · Free Bible Version
1 Thessalonians 2 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Brothers and sisters, you yourselves know what our visit meant to you, and that it wasn't wasted!
1 Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε, ἀδελφοί, τὴν εἴσοδον ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὅτι οὐ κενὴ γέγονεν,
2 You'll recall that after having had much trouble and bad treatment at Philippi, with the help of God we still dared to share God's good news with you, despite the opposition we faced.
2 ἀλλὰ προπαθόντες καὶ ὑβρισθέντες, καθὼς οἴδατε, ἐν Φιλίπποις, ἐπαρρησιασάμεθα ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν λαλῆσαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν πολλῷ ἀγῶνι.
3 For what we speak about isn't deceptive, or worthless, or fraudulent.
3 ἡ γὰρ παράκλησις ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐκ πλάνης οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀκαθαρσίας, οὔτε ἐν δόλῳ,
4 On the contrary, we have God's approval for what we say—he's entrusted us with sharing the good news. We don't set out to please people, but God. He's the one who judges our motives.
4 ἀλλὰ καθὼς δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, οὕτω λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν.
5 As you know, we've never used flattering words. Nor were we covering up some greedy, selfish attitude—as God is our witness!
5 οὔτε γάρ ποτε ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας ἐγενήθημεν, καθὼς οἴδατε, οὔτε ἐν προφάσει πλεονεξίας, Θεὸς μάρτυς,
6 We weren't trying to win anybody's praise—not from you, nor anyone else. We could have become a “burden” to you as messengers of Christ,
6 οὔτε ζητοῦντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν οὔτε ἀπὸ ἄλλων, δυνάμενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι,
7 but instead we acted kindly among you, like a mother caring for her own children.
7 ἀλλ᾽ ἐγενήθημεν ἤπιοι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, ὡς ἂν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα·
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not just God's good news, but also our very own selves, because you had become so dear to us.
8 οὕτως ὁμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς, διότι ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῖν γεγένησθε.
9 Don't you remember, brothers and sisters, all our hard work—working day and night so we wouldn't be a burden to any of you as we shared God's good news with you?
9 μνημονεύετε γάρ, ἀδελφοί, τὸν κόπον ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν μόχθον· νυκτὸς γὰρ καὶ ἡμέρας ἐργαζόμενοι πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα ὑμῶν ἐκηρύξαμεν εἰς ὑμᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
10 You yourselves can testify as to how we acted, and God can too—how we treated you believers with a holy attitude, fairly and blamelessly.
10 ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως καὶ ἀμέμπτως ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐγενήθημεν,
11 You know how we cared for every one of you like a father caring for his own children. We encouraged you, comforted you, and shared with you our experience
11 καθάπερ οἴδατε ὡς ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν ὡς πατὴρ τέκνα ἑαυτοῦ
12 so that you could live as God would want you to live—the God who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.
12 παρακαλοῦντες ὑμᾶς καὶ παραμυθούμενοι καὶ μαρτυρόμενοι εἰς τὸ περιπατῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἀξίως τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν καὶ δόξαν.
13 Another thing: we're always thanking God that when you heard and accepted the word of God, you didn't treat it as some human words, but what it truly is, the word of God. This is what is at work in those of you who trust in him.
13 Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως, ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὐ λόγον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καθώς ἐστιν ἀληθῶς, λόγον Θεοῦ, ὃς καὶ ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν.
14 The experience you brothers and sisters have had imitates that of God's churches that belong to Christ Jesus in Judaea. Just like your fellow Jewish Christians you suffered as they did at the hands of the Jewish leaders
14 ὑμεῖς γὰρ μιμηταὶ ἐγενήθητε, ἀδελφοί, τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν οὐσῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπάθετε καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων συμφυλετῶν καθὼς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων,
15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and chased us out. They don't please God and they are hostile to everyone,
15 τῶν καὶ τὸν Κύριον ἀποκτεινάντων Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους προφήτας, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων, καὶ Θεῷ μὴ ἀρεσκόντων, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων,
16 trying to prevent us from speaking to the other nations to prevent them from being saved. They're always sinning to the maximum extent, but for them full judgment has arrived!
16 κωλυόντων ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἔθνεσι λαλῆσαι ἵνα σωθῶσιν, εἰς τὸ ἀναπληρῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας πάντοτε. ἔφθασε δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος.
17 Brothers and sisters, since we felt as if we'd experienced a family separation because we hadn't seen you for a while (separated physically though not in spirit), we tried even harder to come and see you again face to face because that's what we wanted to do.
17 Ἡμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, ἀπορφανισθέντες ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν πρὸς καιρὸν ὥρας, προσώπῳ οὐ καρδίᾳ, περισσοτέρως ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὸ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν ἐν πολλῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ.
18 We really wanted to come and visit you, and I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan stopped us.
18 διὸ ἠθελήσαμεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐγὼ μὲν Παῦλος καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δίς, καὶ ἐνέκοψεν ἡμᾶς ὁ σατανᾶς.
19 For what gives us hope, what makes us happy, what we are really proud of as we stand before our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes back—is having you there too!
19 τίς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐλπὶς ἢ χαρὰ ἢ στέφανος καυχήσεως ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ [Χριστοῦ] ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ;
20 You are our pride and joy!
20 ὑμεῖς γάρ ἐστε ἡ δόξα ἡμῶν καὶ χαρά.
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Philippians 2:16; Habakkuk 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Corinthians 15:2
- 2 Acts 4:13; Acts 16:22–24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Acts 17:2–9; 1 Peter 2:14–16
- 3 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6; 2 Corinthians 12:16–18
- 4 Galatians 1:10; Romans 8:27; Galatians 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:14; Psalm 17:3
- 5 Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 12:17; Acts 20:33; Galatians 1:20; 2 Peter 2:3
- 6 Galatians 1:10; John 5:44; John 5:41; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; Philemon 8–9
- 7 Isaiah 66:13; 2 Timothy 2:24–25; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; Isaiah 49:23; 2 Corinthians 10:1
- 8 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:17; Romans 1:11–12; Hebrews 13:17
- 9 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9; 2 Corinthians 11:9; Acts 18:3; 2 Corinthians 12:13–14; 1 Timothy 4:10
- 10 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Titus 2:7–8; Acts 20:18
- 11 1 Corinthians 4:14–15; Hebrews 13:22; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 4:1–2; 2 Thessalonians 3:12
- 12 Ephesians 4:1; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 1:6–7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14; 1 Thessalonians 4:12
- 13 Hebrews 4:12; Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Peter 2:2
- 14 1 Thessalonians 3:4; Hebrews 10:33–34; Hebrews 5:7–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–2
- 15 Matthew 5:12; Luke 11:48–53; Acts 7:52; Acts 2:23; Luke 13:33–34
- 16 Acts 17:13; Acts 14:19; Acts 14:5; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 23:32
- 17 Colossians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:10–11
- 18 Romans 15:22; Romans 1:13; Revelation 2:10; Zechariah 3:1–2; 2 Corinthians 11:12–14
- 19 Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 1:14
- 20 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Corinthians 11:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The teacher ought to do nothing with a feeling of being burdened, that tends to the salvation of his disciples. For if the blessed Jacob was buffeted night and day in keeping his flocks, much more ought he, to whom the care of souls is entrusted, to endure all toils, though the work be laborious and mean, looking only to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
For to this purpose said that dispenser of Thine,--begetting children by the gospel, --that he might not always have them "babes," whom he would feed on milk, and cherish as a nurse; "be ye transformed," saith He, "by the renewing of your mind, that he may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Therefore Thou …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… for ye also have suffered the same things of your own fellow-countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have driven us out; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men." Which same point here also Christ hath established.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Hear that he descended: "I became a babe in the midst of you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." For we see both nurses and mothers descend to babes, and although they be able to speak Latin, they shorten the words, shake their tongues in a certain manner, in order to frame childish endearments from a methodical language; because …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
This Paul also was laying to their charge, when he said, "Who both killed the Lord, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us." Moreover, that they may not say, "He is an adversary of God, and therefore we do not come," hear what they say who are bidding them; that it is the father who is making the marriage, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)