2 thought it good to be left 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 con3 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 5 it came to pass, and ye know. 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 6 you, and our labour should be in vain. But 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 7 as we also to see you; for this cause, brethren, we were

comforted over you in all our distress and affliction 8 through your faith: for now we live, if ye stand fast 9 in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we 10 joy for your sakes before our God; night and day praying 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 12 Jesus, direct our way unto you: and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, 13 and toward all men, even as we also do toward you; to the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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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, even as ye do walk,-that ye 2 abound more and more. For ye know what charge we 3 gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will

of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from 4 fornication; that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honour, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles which 6 know not God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testi7 fied. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in 8 sanctification. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you. But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of 10 God to love one another; for indeed ye do it toward all

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the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we ex11 hort you, brethren, that ye 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 you; 12 that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.

13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even 14 as the rest, which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are 15 fallen asleep in Jesus will God 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 in no wise precede them that are fallen 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 that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in 18 the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. fore comfort one another with these words.

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But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord 3 so cometh as a thief 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 as a thief. 5 for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are 6 not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not

sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be 8 drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we 11 should live together with him. Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do. 12 But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and 13 admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in

love for their work's sake. Be at peace among your14 selves. And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak,›

15 be longsuffering toward all. See that none render unto 16 any one evil for evil; but alway follow after that which 17 is good, one toward another, and toward all. Rejoice 18 alway; pray without ceasing; in every thing give 19 thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to 20 you-ward. Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophe21 syings; prove all things; hold fast that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.

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And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus 24 Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also ⚫do it.

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Brethren, pray for us.

Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss. I adjure you 27 by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the breth

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ren.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE

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THESSALONIANS.

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord 2 Jesus Christ; Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to give thanks to God alway for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward 4 one another aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which 5 ye endure; which is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suf6 fer: if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, and to 7 you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of

the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his. 8 power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that

know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of 9 our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from 10 the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that belieyed (because our testimony unto you was believed) 11 in that day. To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of 12 faith, with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in_him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together 2 unto him; to the end that 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 3 Lord is now present; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and 4 the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the tem5 ple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these 6 things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to 7 the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For

the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out 8 of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his 9 coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying won10 ders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them

that are perishing; because they received not the love 11 of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that 12 they should believe 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 14 of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the 15 glory of our Lord 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.

3 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 3 and evil men; for all have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and guard you from the 4 evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we 5 command. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

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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 7 tradition which they received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not 8 ourselves disorderly 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 might not bur9 den any of you: not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should 10 imitate us. For even when we were with you, this we

commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him 11 eat. For we hear of some that walk among you dis12 orderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. Now

them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat 13 their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in 14 well-doing. And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company 15 with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. And yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

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Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which 18 is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

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