God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; "night and day praying "resence exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Many

II Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our 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 you; to the end he may stablish your tes add hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the "coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

IV.

Finally then, brethren, we beseech and ex

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Amen.

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hort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye re- Gr. ceived of us how ye ought to walk and to please charges God, even as ye do walk,-that abound more and more. For ye know what 'charge we gave you through the 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 sanctification Orer and honour, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles which 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 testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. There- 95, told you fore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, plainly. 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 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 abound team more and more; "and that ye study to be quiet,

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and to do your own business, and to work with your through, hands, even as we charged you; "that ye may walk God honestly toward them that are without, and may Fesus have need of nothing.

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13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, which have no hope. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are 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. "For the Lord presence. 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: "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 the Lord. 18Wherefore 'comfort one another with these words.

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exhort

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But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord 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 they shall in no wise escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; ad and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

an ent auth ri

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But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, put

a Or,

ting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God appointed watch us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we "wake or sleep, we should live together with him. "Wherefore 'exhort one an- or, other, and build each other up, even as also ye do.

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comfort

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authorities insert

12 But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at ancient peace among yourselves. "And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but alway follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all. "Rejoice al- pearance way; "pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward. "Quench not the Spirit; "despise not prophesyings; "prove all things; hold fast presence. that which is good; "abstain from every form of evil.

d Or, ap

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23 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 a our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.

25 Brethren, pray for us!

2

also.

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

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with

you.

authorities insert holy.

The Second Epistle of PAUL the Apostle

to the THESSALONIANS.

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father

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food and the Lord 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 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 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 suffer: if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: 'who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) 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 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.

II.

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presence.

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ness.

d Gr.

e Or, sanc

Now we beseech you, brethren, "touching the 'coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together 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 Many as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now pres- aud ent; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will lawlessnot be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, 'he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that an is called God or "that is worshipped; so that he sit- worship. teth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know tuary that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of sor, only lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that no that restraineth now, until he be taken out 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 manifesta- Some tion of his 'coming; even he, whose 'coming is ac- authori cording to the working of Satan with all power and Jesus. signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because they received not the love of the truth, that ancient they might be saved. "And for this cause God ties red sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in un-Gr. righteousness.

until he

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taken,etc.

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consume.

power and signs and won

falsehood.

13 But we are bound to give thanks to God al- ders of way for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that