:

in Christ shall rise first :

17 Then we which are living, who remain behind, shall be caught up all together, with them, in the clouds, to meet the Lord, into the air and so shall we be always with the Lord.

18 So then comfort one another with these words.

cape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief.

5 2For ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day : we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as the rest do; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, being of the day, be sober, putting on a breast

So all the oldest authorities. 2 For is omitted in the Alexandrine and Sinaitic MSS. and in the ancient Syriac version, and the most ancient Fathers: the Vatican and Claromontane MSS. read But.

9 For God appointed us not unto wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

IO Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together, with Him

II Wherefore comfort each other, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

12 But we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and preside over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 But we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all men.

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

16 Rejoice always, 17 Pray unceasingly,

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 19 Quench not the Spirit, 20 Despise not prophesyings,

21 But prove all things; hold fast that which is good,

22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 But may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul

of Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God 'our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith increaseth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth ;

4 So that we ourselves make

our boast of you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions that ye are enduring:

5 Which is a token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye are also suffering:

Some of the oldest MSS. read the Father.

6 If so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you;

are

afflicted rest with us, at the 7 And to you who from heaven with the angels of revelation of the Lord Jesus his might,

8 In flaming fire, bestowing not God, and on them that vengeance on them that know Lord Jesus [Christ]: obey not the gospel of our

9 The which shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of

his

power;

10 When he shall come to be

glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that 3believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

II To which end we pray

2 Some of the oldest MSS. omit Christ.

3 So all the oldest MSS.

7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work, only until he that now hindereth be taken out of the way.

B

CHAPTER II.

UT we beseech you, thren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word nor by letter, as by us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is come.

3 Let no man deceive you in any way for 2[that day shall not come,] unless there shall have come the apostasy first, and the Man of 3Sin shall have been revealed, the son of perdition;

4 He that opposeth, and exalteth himself above every one called God, or an object of worship; so that he sitteth down in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what

1 So all the oldest authorities. 2 These words are not expressed in the original.

3 The two most ancient MSS.

read Lawlessness.

As God is omitted by all the most ancient MSS.

IO And in all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

II And for this cause "doth God send them the working of delusion, that they should believe the falsehood:

12 That they all of them may be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

13 T But as for us, we are bound to give thanks to God alway for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions

5 So most of the oldest MSS., versions, and Fathers.

6 So all the oldest MSS.

which ye were taught, whether by word, or by our epistle. 16 But our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God and our Father, which loved us, and gave us eternal consolation and good hope in grace,

17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good work and word.

F

CHAPTER III.

INALLY, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord inay have free course, and be glorified, even as it is also with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked men for all have not the faith.

3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

4 Moreover we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both are doing and will do the things which we command '[you].

5 But may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

6 Moreover we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that is walking disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of

cause we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you ;

8 Neither did we eat bread from any man without recompence; but in labour and toil working night and day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you :

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to imi

tate us.

IO For also when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any man will not work, neither let him eat.

II For we hear that there are some walking among you disorderly, working at no business, but being busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that working with quietness they eat their own bread.

13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

14 But if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, mark that man, and keep no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

15 And count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

16 But may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is a token in every epistle: so I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 3 3 Amen is omitted by the most ancient MSS.

CHAPTER I.

8 But we know that the law

fully,

our

2 Unto Timothy, mine own child in the faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 Even as I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I was on my way to Macedonia, that thou mightest command some not to be teachers of strange things,

4 Nor yet give heed to fables and endless genealogies, the which minister questions, rather than God's dispensation which is in faith.

5 But the end of the commandment is love qut of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:

6 From which things some having swerved have been turned aside unto vain babbling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand not either what they say, or of what things they make

affirmation.

1 So the oldest MSS.

So some of the oldest MSS.: others having edification, but in differing forms, which makes it probable that it was an alteration to suit the apparent sense.

9 And be aware of this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for smiters of fathers and smiters of mothers, for manslayers,

10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves

with mankind, for slavedealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to the sound doctrine ;

of the glory of the blessed God, II According to the gospel with which I was entrusted.

12 3I give thanks to him that put strength in me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, that he counted me faithful, appointing me to the ministry;

13 Though I was before a and an insulter: yet I obtainblasphemer, and a persecutor,

ed

mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with

faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the

3 And is omitted by the most ancient MSS.