Greetings to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:1–4)
1 UST { I,} Paul,{ write this letter to you,} and Silas and Timothy{ are with me}.{ I send this letter} to{ you,} the group of believers in the city of Thessalonica. God the Father has united you to himself and to the Lord Jesus the Messiah.{ May God continue to be} kind to you and{ make you} peaceful. BSB BSB: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 UST We pray for you persistently.{ When we do,} we consistently thank God for all of you. BSB BSB: We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers
3 UST We thank our God and Father for what you do because you trust{ in him}.{ We thank him} for the way that you help people because you love{ them}.{ We thank him} for the way that you patiently endure because you confidently expect our Lord Jesus the Messiah{ to come again}. BSB BSB: and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 UST { We thank God because} we know that he chose you, fellow believers whom God loves. BSB BSB: Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you,
5 UST { We know that God chose you,} because when we told you the good news, we did not just say words. Rather, the Holy Spirit also powerfully worked{ through us}, and we were sure that the good news was true. In the same way, you remember how we acted to help you when we were with you. BSB BSB: because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.
6 UST As for you, you acted as we do and as the Lord{ Jesus} did. Specifically, when you believed the good news, you suffered greatly, but the Holy Spirit caused you to rejoice. BSB BSB: And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.
7 UST Because{ you acted in those ways}, all the believers in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia want to act as you do. BSB BSB: As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 UST In fact, many people{ who live} in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia have heard the message about the Lord{ Jesus} because of you. Even more, people in very many places have heard about how you trust in God. As a result, we do not need to tell people anything{ about what God has done for you}. BSB BSB: For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.
9 UST Indeed, those same people tell others about how well it went when we visited you.{ They say that} you stopped caring about other gods{ and began to focus on} God so that you could worship and obey him, the only real God. BSB BSB: For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
10 UST Further,{ they say that you focused on God} so that you could eagerly anticipate when God’ s Son{ will come back} from{ where he is in} heaven. God made Jesus alive again, and Jesus is the one who will save us{ who believe in him} at the time when God will punish people{ for their sins}. BSB BSB: and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.