1 ² We always thank God for you all, and mention you in our prayers continually. 1 ³ We call to mind, before our God and Father, how your faith has shown itself in action, your love in labour, and your hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in fortitude. 1 ⁴ We are certain, brothers beloved by God, that he has chosen you 1 ⁵ and that Or: ... chosen you, because ... when we brought you the Gospel, we brought it not in mere words but in the power of the Holy Spirit, and with strong conviction, as you know well. That is the kind of men we were at Thessalonica, and it was for your sake.
1 ⁶ And you, in your turn, followed the example set by us and by the Lord; the welcome you gave the message meant grave suffering for you, yet you rejoiced in the Holy Spirit; 1 ⁷ thus you have become a model for all believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 1 ⁸ From Thessalonica the word of the Lord rang out; and not in Macedonia and Achaia alone, but everywhere your faith in God has reached men's ears. No words of ours are needed, 1 ⁹ for they themselves spread the news of our visit to you and its effect: how you turned from idols, to be servants of the living and true God, 1 ¹⁰ and to wait expectantly for the appearance from heaven of his Son Jesus, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the terrors of judgement to come.