Paul’s 1st Epistle to the
Thessalonians
Chapter One
  1. PAUL, and Sil-va′-nus, and Ti-mo′-the-us, unto the church of the Thes-sa-lo′-ni-ans which is in ⟨God⟩ the Father and in the ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩.
  2. We give thanks to ⟨God⟩ always for you all, making men­tion of you in our prayers;
  3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour o f love, and patience of hope in our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩, in the sight of ⟨God⟩ and our Father;
  4. Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of ⟨God⟩.
  5. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy ⟨Ghost⟩, and in much assur­ance; as ye know what man­ner of men we were among your for your sake.
  6. And ye became followers of us, and of the ⟨Lord⟩, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy ⟨Ghost⟩:
  7. So that we were ensamples to all that believe in Mac-e-do′-ni-a and A-‍cha′-‍ia.
  8. For from you sounded out the word of the ⟨Lord⟩ not only in Mac-e-do′-ni-a and A-‍cha′-‍ia, but also in every place your faith to ⟨God⟩-‍ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
  9. For they themselves shew of us what man­ner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to ⟨God⟩ from idols to serve the living and true ⟨God⟩;
  10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even ⟨Jesus⟩, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Chapter Two
  1. FOR yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
  2. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shame­fully entreated, as ye know, at Phi-lip′-pi, we were bold in our ⟨God⟩ to speak unto you the gospel of ⟨God⟩ with much contention.
  3. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of unclean­ness, nor in guile:
  4. But as we were allowed of ⟨God⟩ to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleas­ing men, but ⟨God⟩, which trieth our hearts.
  5. For neither at any time used we flatter­ing words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covet­ous­ness; ⟨God⟩ is witness:
  6. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been bur­den­some, as the apostles of ⟨Christ⟩.
  7. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cher­ish­eth her children:
  8. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willint to have impart­ed unto you, not the gospel of ⟨God⟩ only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
  9. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and tra­vail: for labour­ing night and day, because we would not be charge­able unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of ⟨God⟩.
  10. Ye are witnesses, and ⟨God⟩ also, how holily and justly and unblame­ably we behaved our­selves among you that believe:
  11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
  12. That ye would walk worthy of ⟨God⟩, who hath called you unto his king­dom and glory.
  13. For this cause also thank we ⟨God⟩ without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of ⟨God⟩ which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of ⟨God⟩, which effect­ually work­eth also in you that believe.
  14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of ⟨God⟩ which were in Ju-dæ′-a are in ⟨Christ⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩: for ye also have suf­fer­ed like things of your own country­men, even as they have of the Jews:
  15. Who both killed the ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩, and their own prophets, and have per­se­cut­ed us; and they please not ⟨God⟩, and are con­trary to all men:
  16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
  17. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, en­deav­oured the more abun­dantly to see your face with great desire.
  18. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
  19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of re­joic­ing? Are not even ye in the pres­ence of our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩ at his com­ing?
  20. For ye are our glory and joy.
Chapter Three
  1. WHEREFORE when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
  2. And sent Ti-mo′-the-us, our brother, and minister of ⟨God⟩, and our fellow­labourer in the gospel of ⟨Christ⟩, to estab­lish you, and to com­fort you concerning your faith:
  3. That no man should be moved by these afflic­tions: for your­selves know that we are appointed thereunto.
  4. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer trib­u­la­tion; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
  5. For this cause, when I could no longer for­bear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
  6. But now when Ti-mo′-the-us came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remem­brance of us always, desir­ing greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
  7. Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our afflic­tion and distress by your faith:
  8. For now we live, if ye stand fast in the ⟨Lord⟩.
  9. For what thanks can we render to ⟨God⟩ again for you, for all the joy where­with we joy for your sakes before our ⟨God⟩;
  10. Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might per­fect that which is lack­ing in your faith?
 
  1. Now ⟨God⟩ himself and our Father, and our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩, direct our way unto you.
  2. And the ⟨Lord⟩ make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
  3. To the end he may stab­lish your hearts unblame­able in holi­ness before ⟨God⟩, even our Father, at the com­ing of our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩ with all his saints.
Chapter Four
  1. FURTHERMORE then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please ⟨God⟩, so ye would abound more and more.
  2. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩.
  3. For this is the will of ⟨God⟩, even your sanc­ti­fi­ca­tion, that ye should ab­stain from fornication:
  4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanc­ti­fi­ca­tion and honour;
  5. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not ⟨God⟩:
  6. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any mat­ter: be­cause that the ⟨Lord⟩ is the aveng­er of all such, as we also have fore­warned you and testified.
  7. For ⟨God⟩ hath not called us unto unclean­ness, but unto holiness.
  8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but ⟨God⟩, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
  9. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye your­selves are taught of ⟨God⟩ to love one another.
  10. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Mac-e-do′-ni-a: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
  11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
  12. That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
  13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, con­cern­ing them which are asleep, that ye sor­row not, even as others which have no hope.
  14. For if we believe that ⟨Jesus⟩ died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in ⟨Jesus⟩ will ⟨God⟩ bring with him.
  15. For this we say unto you by the word of the ⟨Lord⟩, that we which are alive and remain unto the com­ing of the ⟨Lord⟩ shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  16. 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 which are alive and remain shall be caught up to­geth­er with them in the clouds, to meet the ⟨Lord⟩ in the air: and so shall we ever be with the ⟨Lord⟩.
  18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Chapter Five
  1. BUT of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I (should) write unto you.
  2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the ⟨Lord⟩ so cometh as a thief in the night.
  3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
  4. Bue ye, brethren, are not in darknes, that that day should over­take you as a thief.
  5. Ye are all the children of light, and the chil­dren of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
  6. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; 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, who are of the day, be sober, put­ting on the breast­plate of faith and love; and for an hel­met, the hope of salvation.
  9. For ⟨God⟩ hath not appointed us to wrath, but to ob­tain sal­va­tion by our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩,
  10. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
  11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one an­other, even as also ye do.
  12. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which la­bour among you, and are over you in the ⟨Lord⟩, and admonish you;
  13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
  14. Now we exhort you, breth­ren, warn them that are un­ruly, com­fort the feeble­minded, sup­port the weak, be pa­tient toward all men.
  15. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among your­selves, and to all men.
  16. Rejoice evermore.
  17. Pray without ceasing.
  18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of ⟨God⟩ in ⟨Christ⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ concerning you.
  19. Quench not the Spirit.
  20. Despise not prophesyings.
  21. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
  22. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
  23. And the very ⟨God⟩ of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray ⟨God⟩ your whole spirit and soul and body be pre­served blame­less unto the com­ing of our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩.
  24. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
  25. Brethren, pray for us.
  26. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
  27. I charge you by the ⟨Lord⟩ that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
  28. The grace of our ⟨Lord⟩ ⟨Jesus⟩ ⟨Christ⟩ be with you. A-men′.
“Line upon line, precept upon precept”…
for knowledge shall cease and wisdom fail,
but understanding remains (if gained from the former).