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 yourselves know, brethren, that our ^1acoming to you ^bwas not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been ^amistreated in ^bPhilippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^cto speak to you the ^dgospel of God amid much ^1eopposition. 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 as pleasing men, but God who ^1dexamines our hearts. 5 For we never came ¹with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^aa pretext for greed—^bGod is witness— 6 nor did we ^aseek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as ^bapostles of Christ ¹we might have ²asserted our authority. 7 But we ¹proved to be ^2agentle ³among you, ^bas a nursing mother ⁴tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to ^aimpart to you not only the ^bgospel of God but also our own ¹lives, because you had become ²very dear to us.

9 For you recall, brethren, our ^alabor and hardship, how ^bworking night and day so as not to be a ^cburden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the ^dgospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is ^aGod, ^bhow devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we ¹behaved toward you ²believers; 11 just as you know how we were ^aexhorting and encouraging and ^1bimploring 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 men, but for what it really is, the word of God, ^dwhich also performs its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, 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 men, 16 ^ahindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^bso that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^cfill up the measure of their sins. But ^dwrath has come upon them ¹to the utmost.

17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you 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 yet ^cSatan ^dhindered us. 19 For who is our hope or ^ajoy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^1bcoming? 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!