Porque vosotros mismos sabéis, hermanos, que nuestra visita¹ a vosotros^a no fue en vano^b, 2 sino que después de haber sufrido y sido maltratados^a en Filipos^b, como sabéis, tuvimos el valor, confiados en nuestro Dios, de hablaros^c el evangelio de Dios^d en medio de mucha oposición^1e. 3 Pues nuestra exhortación^a no procede de error^b ni de impureza^c ni es con engaño^d; 4 sino que así como hemos sido aprobados por Dios^a para que se nos confiara el evangelio^b, así hablamos, no como agradando a los hombres, sino a Dios^c que examina¹ nuestros corazones^d. 5 Porque como sabéis, nunca fuimos¹ a vosotros con palabras lisonjeras, ni con pretexto para lucrar^a, Dios es testigo^b, 6 ni buscando gloria de los hombres^a, ni de vosotros ni de otros, aunque como apóstoles de Cristo hubiéramos podido imponer nuestra autoridad^1b. 7 Más bien demostramos ser¹ benignos^2a entre³ vosotros, como una madre que cría con ternura a sus propios hijos^b. 8 Teniendo así un gran afecto por vosotros, nos hemos complacido en impartiros^a nosolo el evangelio de Dios^b, sino también nuestras propias vidas¹, pues llegasteis a sernos muy amados. 9 Porque recordáis, hermanos, nuestros trabajos y fatigas^a, cómo, trabajando de día y de noche^b para no ser carga^c a ninguno de vosotros, os proclamamos el evangelio de Dios^d. 10 Vosotros sois testigos, y también Dios^a, de cuán santa, justa e irreprensiblemente nos comportamos¹ con vosotros^b los creyentes; 11 así como sabéis de qué manera os exhortábamos^a, alentábamos e implorábamos¹ a cada uno de vosotros^b, como un padre lo haría con sus propios hijos^c, 12 para que anduvierais como es digno^a del Dios que os ha llamado¹ a su reino^b y a su gloria^c.

13 Por esto también nosotros sin cesar damos gracias a Dios^a de que cuando recibisteis la palabra de Dios^b, que oísteis de nosotros la aceptasteis no como la palabra de hombres, sino como lo que realmente es, la palabra de Dios^c, la cual también hace su obra^d en vosotros los que creéis. 14 Pues vosotros, hermanos, vinisteis a ser imitadores^a de las iglesias de Dios en Cristo Jesús^b que están en Judea^c, porque también vosotros padecisteis los mismos sufrimientos a manos de vuestros propios compatriotas^d, tal como ellos padecieron a manos de los judíos^e, 15 los cuales mataron tanto al Señor Jesús^a como a los profetas^b, y a nosotros nos expulsaron¹, y no agradan a Dios sino que² son contrarios a todos los hombres, 16 impidiéndonos¹ hablar a los gentiles^a para que se salven^b, con el resultado de que siempre llenan la medida de sus pecados^c. Pero la ira^d ha venido sobre ellos hasta el extremo².

17 Pero nosotros, hermanos, separados de vosotros por breve tiempo¹, en persona² pero no en espíritu^3a, estábamos muy ansiosos, con profundo deseo de ver vuestro rostro^b. 18 Ya que queríamos ir a vosotros^a (al menos yo, Pablo, más de una vez^1b) pero Satanás^c nos lo ha impedido^d. 19 Porque ¿quién es nuestra esperanza o gozo o corona de gloria^a? ¿No lo sois vosotros en la presencia de nuestro Señor Jesús en su venida^1b? 20 Pues vosotros sois nuestra gloria^a y nuestro gozo.

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our ^1areception among you ^bwas not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been ^atreated abusively in ^bPhilippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^cto speak to you the ^dgospel of God ¹amid much ^2eopposition. 3 For our ^aexhortation does not come from ^berror or ^cimpurity or ¹by way of ^ddeceit; 4 ^abut just as we have been approved by God to be ^bentrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^cnot intending to please people, but to please God, who ^1dexamines our hearts. 5 For we never came ¹with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^aa pretext ²for greed—^bGod is our witness— 6 nor did we ^aseek honor from people, either from you or from others, though ¹we could have ²asserted our authority as ^bapostles of Christ. 7 But we ¹proved to be ^2agentle ³among you. ^bAs a nursing mother ⁴tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to ^ashare with you not only the ^bgospel of God, but also our own ¹lives, because you had become ²very dear to us.

9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our ^alabor and hardship: it was by ^bworking night and day so as not to be a ^cburden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the ^dgospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is ^aGod, of ^bhow devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we ¹behaved toward you ²believers; 11 just as you know how we were ^aexhorting and encouraging and ^bimploring each one of you as ^ca father would his own children, 12 so that you would ^awalk in a manner worthy of the God who ^bcalls you into His own kingdom and ^cglory.

13 For this reason we also constantly ^athank God that when you received the ^bword of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^cnot as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, ^dwhich also is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became ^aimitators of ^bthe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^cin Judea, for ^dyou also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ^eeven as they did from the Jews, 15 ^awho both killed the Lord Jesus and ^bthe prophets, and ¹drove us out. ²They are not pleasing to God, ³but hostile to all people, 16 ^ahindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^bso that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^1creach the limit of their sins. But ^dwrath has come upon them ²fully.

17 But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a ¹short while—^ain ²person, not in ³spirit—were all the more eager with great desire ^bto see your face. 18 ¹For ^awe wanted to come to you—I, Paul, ^2bmore than once—and ^cSatan ^dhindered us. 19 For who is our hope, or ^ajoy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^1bcoming? Or is it not indeed you? 20 For you are ^aour glory and joy.

For you know, brothers and sisters, that our ^acoming to you ^bhas not been ineffective (fruitless, in vain) , 2 but after we had already suffered and been ^aoutrageously treated in ^bPhilippi, as you know, yet in the strength of our God we summoned the courage ^cto proclaim boldly to you the ^dgood news of God regarding salvation amid great ^eopposition. 3 For our ^aappeal does not come from ^bdelusion or ^cimpure motives, nor is it motivated by ^ddeceit our message is complete, accurate, and based on the truth—it does not change. 4 ^aBut just as we have been approved by God to be ^bentrusted with the gospel that tells the good news of salvation through faith in Christ, so we speak, ^cnot as if we were trying to please people to gain power and popularity, but to please God who ^dexamines our hearts expecting our best. 5 For as you well know, we never came with words of flattery nor with ^aa pretext for greed—^bGod is our witness— 6 nor did we ^aseek glory and honor from people, neither from you nor from anyone else, though as ^bapostles of Christ we had the power to assert our authority. 7 But we behaved ^agently when we were among you, ^blike a devoted mother tenderly caring for her own children. 8 Having such a deep affection for you, we ¹were delighted to ^ashare with you not only God’s ^bgood news but also our own lives, because you had become so very dear to us.

9 For you remember, ¹believers, our ^alabor and hardship. We ^bworked night and day practicing our trade in order not to be a financial ^cburden to any of you while we proclaimed the ^dgospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is ^aGod, ^bhow unworldly and just and blameless was our behavior toward you who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. 11 For you know how we were ^aexhorting and encouraging and ^bimploring each one of you just as ^ca father does in dealing with his own children, guiding you 12 to ^alive lives of honor, moral courage, and personal integrity worthy of the God who saves you and ^bcalls you into His own kingdom and ^cglory.

13 And we also ^athank God continually for this, that when you received the ^bword of God concerning salvation which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^cnot as the word of mere men, but as it truly is, the word of God, ^dwhich is effectually at work in you who believe exercising its inherent, supernatural power in those of faith. 14 For you, ¹brothers and sisters, became ^aimitators of ^bthe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^cin Judea, because ^dyou too suffered the same kind of persecution from your own countrymen, ^eas they did from the Jews, 15 ^awho ¹killed both the Lord Jesus and ^bthe prophets, and harassed and drove us out; and they continue to be highly displeasing to God and to show themselves hostile to all people, 16 ^aforbidding us from speaking to the Gentiles (non-Jews) ^bso that they may be saved. So, as always, they ^cfill up to the brim the measure of their sins allotted to them by God. But God’s ^dwrath has come upon them at last completely and forever. Gen 15:16

17 But since we were taken away from you, believers, for a little while—^ain person, but not in heart—we endeavored, with great longing ^bto see you face to face. 18 For ^awe wanted to come to you—I, Paul, ^bagain and again wanted to come, but ^cSatan ^dhindered us. 19 For who is the object of our hope or ^ajoy or our victor’s wreath of triumphant celebration when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^bcoming? Is it not you? 20 For you are indeed ^aour glory and our joy!