¹ Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonica which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.

² We always thank God for you all, mentioning you in our prayers continually.

³ We remember before our God and Father how active is the faith, how unsparing the love, how persevering the hope which you have from our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ We know, brothers loved by God, that you have been chosen,

⁵ because our gospel came to you not only in words, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with great effect. And you observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your sake.

⁶ You took us and the Lord as your model, welcoming the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit in spite of great hardship.

⁷ And so you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia

⁸ since it was from you that the word of the Lord rang out -- and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it:

⁹ other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with the worship of false gods when you were converted to God and became servants of the living and true God;

¹⁰ and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven. It is he who saves us from the Retribution which is coming.