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1 Therefore, when we could no longer bear it, we thought it was good to be left behind at Athens alone,
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’ s servant in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and comfort you regarding your faith,
3 so that no one would be shaken by these sufferings. For you yourselves know that for this we have been appointed.
4 For even when we were with you, we told you in advance that we were about to suffer affliction, and it happened, just so, as you know.
5 For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I sent that I might know about your faith. Perhaps the tempter had somehow tempted you, and our labor was in vain.
6 But just now Timothy came to us from you and brought us the good news of your faith and love. He told us that you always have good memories of us, and that you long to see us just as we also long to see you.
7 Because of this, brothers, we were comforted by you because of your faith, in all our distress and affliction.
8 For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we give to God for you, for all the joy that we have before our God over you?
10 Night and day we pray very hard that we may see your face and provide what is lacking in your faith.
11 But may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.
12 Moreover, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love one for another and toward all people, as we also do for you.
13 so that He may strengthen your hearts to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen!
The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians