For how can we thank God enough for you, ¹  for all the joy we feel ²  because of you before our God?

Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.

Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority ¹  but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ¹  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ² 

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, ¹  brothers and sisters, ²  about those who are asleep, ³  so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹  admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.

This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy ¹  of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering.

Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, ¹  that the Lord’s message ²  may spread quickly and be honored ³  as in fact it was among you,

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.”

but the word of the Lord ¹  endures forever. ²  And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

¹ Because Christ also suffered ²  once for sins, the just for the unjust, ³  to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but ⁴  by being made alive in the spirit. ⁵ 

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you ¹  – not the washing off of physical dirt ²  but the pledge ³  of a good conscience to God – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, ¹  who is the Spirit of God, ²  rests ³  on you.

And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ ¹  will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ² 

And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their ¹  condemnation pronounced long ago ²  is not sitting idly by; ³  their ⁴  destruction is not asleep.

Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, ¹  that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day.

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, ¹  as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish ²  for any ³  to perish but for all to come to repentance. ⁴ 

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, ¹ 

Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts ¹  once for all ² ) that Jesus, ³  having saved the ⁴  people out of the land of Egypt, later ⁵  destroyed those who did not believe.

John answered them all, ¹  “I baptize you with water, ²  but one more powerful than I am is coming – I am not worthy ³  to untie the strap ⁴  of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁵