suffered before, and 'been' shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we Iwaxed' bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God 'in' much 'con3 flict. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in 4) guile but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted' with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God which 'proveth' 5 our hearts. For neither at any time Iwere we found using words 'of flatteryl, as ye know, nor a cloke of covet(6) ousness, God is witness; nor 'seeking! glory of men, neither from you, nor from others, when we might have 1been burdensome, as apostles of 1 Christ. But we were 2gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse 8 cherisheth her own children: even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were 'well pleased' to 'impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because_ye 9 were become very dear to us.

For

ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: working night and day, 'that we 'might' not 'burden' any of you, we preached unto you the gospel 10 of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously' and unblameably we behaved ourselves 11) toward you that believe: as lye! know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his 'own' children, lexhorting you', and 'encouraging 12 you, and testifying!, to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his 'own' kingdom and glory.

(13)

And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, 'that', when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that be(14) lieve. For ye, brethren, became

limitators of the churches of God which are in Judæa in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered 'the same things of your own countrymen, even as they

1 Or, Iclaimed honour

2 Most of the ancient authorities read babes.

3 Some ancient authorities read called.

(15 did of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and 'dravel out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; 16 °forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins alway: 'but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

17

But we, brethren, being 'bereaved of you for a short 'season', in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more exceedingly to see your face (18 with great desire: because we would 'fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; 'and' Satan hindered (19 us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying1? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? For ye are our glory and lour joy.

20

31

Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left 2 behind at Athens alone; and sent Timothy', our brother and "God's! minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you con(3 cerning your faith; that no man be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that 'hereunto! we are 4 appointed. For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction'; even as it came to pass, and ye know. 5) °For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might! know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and 6) our labour 'should' be in vain. when 'Timothy' came 'even now unto us from you, and brought us glad! tidings of your faith and love!, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, 'longing to see us, even' as 7) we also to see you; for this cause!,

But

brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction 8 through your faith: °for now we live, 9) if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving! can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes 10 before our God; night and day pray

ing exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith? *(11) Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our 12 way unto you: and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and 'toward' all men, even as we also do toward' *(13) you; to the end he may stablish

your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the 1coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.2

4(1) Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, leven as ye do walk, - that' ye abound 2 more and more. °For ye know what

charge we gave you through the (3 Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye (abstain from fornication; that 'each' one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctifica5 tion and honour, not in the 'passion' of lust, even as the Gentiles which (6) know not God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in Sithe matter: because the Lord is 'an' avenger in all these things', as also (7) we forewarned you and testified. °For God called us not for uncleanness, 8) but in sanctification'. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who 'giveth' his Holy Spirit unto 'you'.

9

But concerning love of the brethren' ye have no need that 'one' write unto you for ye yourselves are taught 10 of God to love one another; °for' indeed ye do it 'toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye (11 abound' more and more; and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged *(12 you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.

(13

But we would not have you igno

rant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, which have no hope. 14 °For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God 15 bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, 'that are left! unto the coming of the Lord, shall lin no wise precede them that are 16 'fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17)°then we 'that' are alive, 'that are left',

shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with 18 the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

51

But 'concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need 2 that 'aught be written' unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief (3 in the night. When they are saying', Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and 4 they shall in no wise' escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you 9as a 5 thief: for ye are all 'sons of light, and 'sons' of the day: we are not of 6 the night, nor of darkness; °lso then! let us not sleep, as do the rest', but 7 let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the 8 night. But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a hel(9) met, the hope of salvation. °For God appointed us not unto wrath, but Junto the obtaining of salvation 10 through our Lord Jesus Christ, owho died for us, that, whether we 10wake or sleep, we should live together with 11 him. Wherefore 11sexhort one another', and 'build each other up', even as also ye do.

B Or, exhort

9 Some ancient authorities read as thieves.

10 Or, Iwatch 11 Or, comfort

ye be not 'quickly shaken 'from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, 'or" by 'epistle' as from us, as that the day of the Lord' 3) is now present'; let no man 'beguile you in any wise: for it will not bel, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be re(4 vealed, the son of perdition, the that' opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the Stemple of God, setting himself 5 forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told 6 you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end' that he may be revealed in his 7 lown season". For the mystery of lawlessness' doth already work : only 'there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall be revealed 'the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus' shall Islay with the 'breath' of his mouth, and bring to nought by the 9 manifestation of his coming; even the, whose coming is 'according to the working of Satan with all power *10 and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness

for them that are perishing; because they received not the love of the 11 truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God 'sendeth' them la working of error', that they should be12 lieve a lie that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13) But we are bound to give thanks to God alway for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose! you from the beginning 'unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit 14 and 10belief of the truth: whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord 15 Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours'.

(16

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father which loved us and gave us eternal comfort and 17) good hope through grace, °comfort your hearts and stablish them in every good work and word.

31

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may 'run' and be glorified, even as also it is with *(2 you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and levil' men; for 3 all have not 11faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and guard you from 12 the evil one'. (4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command. 5 °And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,

and not after the tradition which 7 18 they received of us. °For your

selves know how ye ought to 'imitate' us: for we behaved not ourselves dis8) orderly among you; neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labour and travail, working night and day, that we 9 might not burden' any of you: not because we have not 'the right', but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, (10 that ye should imitate us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, 11 neither let him eat. For we hear

lof some that walk among you disorderly, 'that work' not at all, but are 12 busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they 13 work, and eat their own bread.

But

ye, brethren, be not weary in well14 doing. And if any man 'obeyeth' not our word by this epistle, note that man, 'that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be 15 ashamed. And yet count him not

1(1) PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus laccording to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus (2) our hope; unto Timothy, my 'true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3

As I exhorted thee to 'tarry! at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge Icertain men not to teach 'a different! 4 doctrine, neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, 'the' which minister questionings', rather than a dispensation of God' which is (5 in faith; so do I now. But the

end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and 6 faith unfeigned: from which 'things' some having 2swerved have turned 7 aside unto vain 'talking'; °desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm. 8 °But we know that the law is good, if (9 a man use it lawfully, as knowing

this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and Junruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for 3murderers of fathers and murderers of (10 mothers, for manslayers, for 'fornicators, for abusers of themselves with 'men', for men-stealers, for liars, for false swearers', and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound 11 doctrine; according to the gospel 'of

the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (12) I thank him that enabled me,

leven Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, 'appointing! 13 me to his service; though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: 'howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ig 14 norantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord 'abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ 15) Jesus. Faithful is 'the' saying, and

worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save *16) sinners; of whom I am chief: "howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me las chief might Jesus Christ shew forth all his longsuffering, for 'an ensample of them which should hereafter believe on him unto (17 eternal life. Now unto the King 7eternal, incorruptible', invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. *18) This charge I commit unto thee, 'my child' Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that by them thou mayest war (19) 'the good warfare; holding faith

and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made ship(20 wreck concerning the faith: of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander: whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Gr. of the ages.

8 Gr. unto the ages of the ages. 'Or, led the way to thee