8 tion by your faith; for now we live, if ye stand fast in 9 the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we rejoice for y your sakes 10 before our God; night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may supply that which is lacking in your faith?

11

Now God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus di12 rect our way to you; and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all, 13 even as we do in love toward you; in order that he may

IV.

establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.

Furthermore then, brethren, we beseech you, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye are 2 walking, ye would abound still more; for ye know what 3 commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For

this is the will of God, your sanctification, that ye should 4 abstain from fornication; that every one of you should know how to procure for himself his own vessel in purity 5 and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the gentiles 6 who know not God; that no one should go beyond and overreach his brother in the matter; because the Lord is the avenger in respect to all these things, as we also told 7 you before and solemnly testified. For God did not call 8 us to live in uncleanness, but in purity. He therefore that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who also gave to you his Holy Spirit.

9

But concerning brotherly love there is no need of writing to you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love 10 one another; for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, 11 to abound in love still more; and to study to be quiet, and

to do your own business, and to work with your own 12 hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk becomingly toward those without, and may have need of nothing.

13

But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, coucerning those who are sleeping, that ye may not sorrow, 14 as others do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then also will God, through Jesus, bring again with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are living, we who are left till the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a loud summons, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are living, we who are left, shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the 18 air; and so shall we be ever with the Lord. So then comfort one another with these words.

V. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, there 2 is no need of writing to you; for ye yourselves know full well, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in 3 the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety; then doth sudden destruction come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day 5 should overtake you as a thief; for ye all are sons of light, and sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor 6 of darkness. Let us not sleep, then, as others, but let us 7 watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the 8 night; but let us, as we are of the day, be sober, putting

on the breast-plate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the 9 hope of salvation; for God did not appoint us to wrath, 10 but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who

died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should 11 together live with him. Wherefore, encourage one another, and edify one another, as indeed ye are doing. 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know those who labor

among you, and preside over you in the Lord, and admon13 ish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 Moreover we exhort you, brethren, admonish the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be forbearing to all.

15 See that none render evil for evil to any one; but ever follow that which is good, both toward one another and toward all.

16, 17, 18 Be always joyful. Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in regard to you.

19, 20, 21 Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophesyings, but 22 prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

23 And may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved whole, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he who calleth you, who also will do it.

25

26

Brethren, pray for us. Salute all the brethren with a 27 holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord, that this letter be read to all the holy brethren.

28

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Chap. V. 20. - prophesyings; i.e. utterings of inspired speakers, with no special reference to predictions.

THE SECOND TO THE THESSALONIANS.

I.

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus 2 Christ: Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We ought to thank God always for you, brethren, as is fit, because your faith increaseth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4 so that we ourselves glory in you among the churches of God, for your constancy and faith in all your persecutions 5 and the afflictions which ye endure; an indication of the righteous judgment of God, by which ye will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye are also suffering; 6 since it will be just with God to repay distress to them that 7 distress you, and to you the distressed rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be manifested from heaven, with the 8 angels of his might, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of 9 our Lord Jesus; who will be punished with everlasting destruction proceeding from the presence of the Lord and 10 from the glory of his power, when he shall come in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all who believed; for our testimony to you was believed.

11

For which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and perfect [in you] all pleasure in goodness, and the work of faith, 12 with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may

be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Now we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being assembled to2 gether unto him, that ye be not easily shaken in mind, nor troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, as if the day of the Lord were close at hand. 3 Let no one deceive you in any manner; for [that day will not come] unless the apostasy shall have come first and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of per4 dition; he that opposeth and exalteth himself above every one that is called God, or worthy of worship, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself to be God.

5

Do ye not remember, that, when I was yet with you, I 6 told you these things? And now ye know what restraineth, in order that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already working; only there is one who now restraineth, until he be taken out 8 of the way; and then will the lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth, and destroy with the manifestation of his com9 ing; [he,] whose coming is after the working of Satan 10 with all power, and signs, and wonders of falsehood, and in all deceit of unrighteousness for those who are perishing; because they received not the love of the truth, 11 that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of delusion, that they may believe the 12 falsehood; that they may all be judged, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

13

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, that God chose you

Chap. II. 7. only there is one, &c. If this is not a strict rendering, it conveys the meaning of the apostle better than a verbal one.