|
1ST
THESSALONIANS
CHAPTER
1
1
Paul & Siluanus and Timotheus, vnto the Churche of the Thessalonians, in God
the father, and in the Lorde Iesus Christ: Grace [be] vnto you, & peace from
God our father, and the Lorde Iesus Christe.
2 We geue thankes to God alwayes for all you, makyng mention of you in our
prayers,
3 Without ceassyng, callyng to remembraunce the worke of your fayth, and labour
of loue, and patient abidyng in the hope of our Lorde Iesus Christe, in the
syght of God and our father.
4 Knowyng, brethren beloued, your election of God.
5 For our Gospell came not vnto you in worde only, but also in power, and in the
holy ghost, and in much certayntie, as ye knowe after what maner we were among
you for your sake.
6 And ye became folowers of vs, and of the Lorde, receauyng the worde in much
affliction, with ioy of the holy ghost:
7 So that ye were an ensample to all that beleue in
Macedonia
and Achaia.
8 For from you, sounded out the worde of the Lorde, not only in Macedonia &
Achaia: but also in euery place your faith to Godwarde is spread abroade, so
that we neede not to speake any thyng.
9 For they them selues shewe of you, what maner of entryng in we had vnto you,
and howe ye turned to God from images, to serue the lyuyng and true God.
10 And to tary for his sonne from heauen, whom he raysed from the dead: [euen]
Iesus which delyuereth vs from the wrath to come.
CHAPTER
2
1 For ye your selues, brethren, knowe our entraunce in vnto you, yt it was not
in vayne:
2 But euen after that we had suffred before, and were shamefully entreated as ye
knowe, at Philippos, we were bolde in our God, to speake vnto you the Gospell of
God, in much stryuyng.
3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, neither of vncleannes, neither in
guile:
4 But as it were alowed of God, to be put in credite with the Gospell: euen so
we speake, not as pleasyng men, but God, which tryeth our heartes.
5 For neither at any tyme vsed we flatteryng wordes, as ye knowe, neither cloke
of couetousnes, God [is] recorde,
6 Neither sought we prayse of men, neither of you, nor yet of others:
7 When we myght haue ben in auctoritie, as the Apostles of Christe, but we were
tender among you, euen as a nource cherissheth her chyldren,
8 So, beyng tenderly affected towarde you, our good wyll was to haue dealt vnto
you, not the Gospell of God only: but also our owne soules, because ye were
deare vnto vs.
9 For ye remember brethren, our labour and trauayle. For we labouryng nyght
& day, because we woulde not be chargeable vnto any of you, preached vnto
you the Gospell of God.
10 Ye [are] witnesses, & God [also] howe holyly, and iustly, and vnblameably,
we behaued our selues among you that beleue.
11 As ye knowe, howe that as a father his chyldren, so we haue exhorted,
comforted, and besought euery one of you,
12 That ye woulde walke worthie of God, who hath called you vnto his kyngdome
and glorie.
13 For this cause thanke we God also without ceassyng, because ye receauyng the
worde which ye hearde of vs concernyng God, ye receaued it not as the worde of
man, (but as it is in deede) the worde of God, which effectuously worketh also
in you that beleue.
14 For ye brethren became folowers of the Churches of God, which in Iurie are in
Christe Iesus: for ye haue suffred lyke thynges of your countreymen, as they
haue of the Iewes:
15 Who both kylled the Lorde Iesus, and their owne prophetes, & haue
persecuted vs: and God they please not, and are contrarie to all men:
16 And hynder vs to speake to the gentiles that they myght be saued, to fulfyll
their sinnes alway. For the wrath [of God] is come on them to the vtmost.
17 Forasmuch brethren, as we are kept from you for a short season, in person,
not in heart, we enforced ye more to see you personally with great desire.
18 And therfore we woulde haue come vnto you, (I Paul) once agayne: but Satan
hyndered vs.
19 For what is our hope, or ioy, or crowne of reioycyng? Are not ye it in the
presence of our Lorde Iesus Christe, at his commyng?
20 Yes, ye are our glorie and ioy.
CHAPTER
3
1 Wherfore, sence we coulde no longer forbeare, we thought it good to remaine at
Athens
alone.
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and felowe labourer in
the Gospell of Christe, to stablishe you & to comfort you concernyng your
faith.
3 That no man shoulde be moued in these afflictions: For ye your selues knowe,
that we are appoynted therevnto.
4 For veryly when we were with you, we tolde you before that we shoulde suffer
tribulation, euen as it came to passe, and [as] ye knowe.
5 For this cause, when I coulde no longer forbeare, I sent to knowe your fayth,
lest by some meanes the tempter had tempted you, and our labour had ben vayne.
6 But nowe lately, when Timotheus came from you vnto vs, and brought vs good
tydynges of your fayth and loue, and howe that ye haue good remembraunce of vs
alwayes, desiryng to see vs, as we also [to see] you:
7 Therefore brethren we were comforted ouer you, in all our aduersitie and
necessitie, because of your fayth.
8 For nowe we lyue, yf ye stande fast in the Lorde.
9 For what thankes can we recompence to God agayne for you, for all the ioye
wherwith we ioy for your sakes before our God?
10 Praying nyght and daye exceedyngly to see you personally, and repayre the
wantynges of your fayth?
11 Nowe God him selfe, and our father, and our Lord Iesus Christe, guyde our
waye vnto you.
12 And the Lorde encrease you, & make you abounde in loue one towarde
another, and towarde all men, euen as we also towarde you,
13 To stablyshe your heartes vnblameable, in holynesse before God and our
father, in the commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christe, with all his saintes.
CHAPTER
4
1 Furthermore we besech you brethren, & exhorte you by the Lorde Iesus, that
ye encrease more and more, as ye haue receaued of vs, how ye ought to walke and
to please God.
2 For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by the Lorde Iesus.
3 For this is the wyll of God, your holynesse, that ye should abstayne from
fornication:
4 That euery one of you should knowe how to possesse his vessell in holynesse
and honour:
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, euen as the gentiles, which knowe not God.
6 That no man oppresse and defraude his brother in [any] matter, because that
the Lorde is the auenger of all suche: as we also haue forewarned you, and
testified.
7 For God hath not called vs vnto vncleanenesse, but into holynesse.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath geuen to you
his holy spirite.
9 But as touchyng brotherly loue, ye nede not that I write vnto you: For ye are
taught of God to loue one another.
10 Yea and that thyng veryly ye do vnto all ye brethren which [are] in al
Macedonia: But we beseche you brethren, that ye encrease more and more:
11 And that ye studie to be quiet, and to do your owne [busynesse] and to worke
with your owne handes as we commaunded you:
12 That ye may walke honestly toward them that are without, & that nothyng
be lackyng in you.
13 But I woulde not haue you to be ignoraunt brethren, concernyng them which
sleepe, that ye sorowe not euen as other, which haue no hope.
14 For yf we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose agayne: euen so them also whiche
sleepe by Iesus, wyll God bryng with hym.
15 For this say we vnto you in the worde of the Lorde, that we whiche lyue,
remayning vnto the comyng of the Lord, shall not preuent them which sleepe.
16 For the Lorde hym selfe shal descende from heauen in a shoute, [and] in the
voyce of the Archangell, and in the trumpe of God: And the dead in Christ shall
aryse first.
17 Than we which lyue, which remaine, shalbe caught vp together with them in the
cloudes, to meete the Lorde in the ayre: And so shall we euer be with the Lorde.
18 Wherfore comfort your selues one another in these wordes.
CHAPTER
5
1 But of the tymes & seasons brethre, ye haue no neede that I write vnto
you.
2 For ye your selues knowe perfectlye that the day of the Lord shall so come
euen as a theefe in the nyght.
3 For when they shal say peace & safetie, then shall sodeyne destruction
come vppon them, as sorowe vpon a woman with chylde, and they shall not escape.
4 But ye brethren are not in darknesse, that that day shoulde ouertake you as a
theefe.
5 Ye are all the chyldren of lyght, and the chyldren of the daye: We are not of
the nyght, neither of darkenesse.
6 Therefore let vs not sleepe, as [do] other: but let vs watche and be sober.
7 For they that sleepe, sleepe in the night: and they that be druncken, are
druncken in the nyght.
8 But let vs which are of the day, be sober, puttyng on the
brest
plate of fayth and loue, and a helmet, the hope of saluation.
9 For God hath not appoynted vs to wrath: but to obtayne saluation, by our Lorde
Iesus Christe,
10 Whiche dyed for vs, that whether we wake or sleepe, we shoulde lyue together
with hym.
11 Wherefore comfort your selues together, and edifie euery one another, euen as
ye do.
12 And we beseche you brethren to know them whiche labour among you, and haue
the ouersight of you in the Lorde, and admonishe you:
13 That ye haue them in hye reputation, in loue for their worke, and be at peace
among your selues.
14 We exhort you brethren, warne them that are vnruly, comfort the feeble mynded,
lyft vp the weake, be pacient towarde all men.
15 See that none recompence euyll for euyll vnto any man: but euer folowe that
whiche is good, both among your selues, and to all men.
16 Reioyce euer.
17 Pray continually.
18 In all thinges geue thankes. For this [is] the wyl of God in Christe Iesus
towarde you.
19 Quenche not the spirite.
20 Despise not prophesiynges.
21 Examine all thynges, holde fast that which is good.
22 Abstayne from all appearaunce of euyll.
23 And the very God of peace santifie you throughout [And I pray God] that your
whole spirite, and soule, and body, may be preserued blamelesse in the comming
of our Lorde Iesus Christe.
24 Faythfull is he whiche called you, whiche wyll also do it.
25 Brethren, pray for vs.
26 Greete all the brethren in an holy kysse.
27 I charge you in the Lorde, that this epistle be read vnto al the holy
brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The first (epistle) vnto the Thessalonians, written from Athens.
|
