1 Thessalonians 1

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the gathering of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: favor to you and peace. [a]

2 We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention in our prayers, unceasingly [e] 3 remembering your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, [f] 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, your choice; [g] 5 because our good news did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much full conviction — just as you know what sort of men we became among you for your sake. [h]

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, welcoming the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, [i] 7 so that you became a pattern to all who trust in Macedonia and in Achaia. [j]

8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything; 9 for they themselves report about us what kind of entrance we had to you, and how you turned back to God from the idols, to serve a living and true God, [k] 10 and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, the one who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. [l] †