4 aMasters, give unto your servants that which is just and bequal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2 cdContinue ein prayer, and fwatch in the same gwith thanksgiving; 3 Withal hpraying also for us, that God would iopen unto us a door of utterance, to speak kthe mystery of Christ, lfor which I am also in bonds: 4 That mI may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 nWalk oin wisdom toward pthem that are without, qredeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway rwith grace, sseasoned with salt, that ye may know thow ye ought to answer every man.

7 uAll my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and wa faithful minister and wfellowservant in the Lord: 8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and xcomfort your hearts; 9 With xxOnesimus, a yfaithful and beloved brother, jwho is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here. 10 zAristarchus amy fellowprisoner saluteth you, and bMarcus, csister’s son to dBarnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: eif he come unto you, receive him;) 11 And Jesus, which is called fJustus, gwho are of the circumcision. These only are my hfellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. 12 iEpaphras, jwho is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always ||klabouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand lperfect and ||mcomplete in all mmthe will of God. 13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great nzeal for you, and them that are in oLaodicea, and them in Hierapolis. 14 pLuke, the beloved physician, and qDemas, greet you. 15 Salute the brethren which are in oLaodicea, and Nymphas, and rthe church which is in his house. 16 And when sthis epistle tis read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from oLaodicea. 17 And say to uArchippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. 18 wThe salutation by the hand of me Paul. xRemember ymy bonds. zGrace be with you. Amen.

Written afrom Rome to the Colossians by bTychicus and cOnesimus.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle

to the

Thessalonians

1 *aPaul, and aaSilvanus, and bTimotheus, unto the church of the cThessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: dGrace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 eWe give thanks to God always for you all, making fmention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering gwithout ceasing hyour work of ifaith, and klabour of ilove, and lpatience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of mGod and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren ||nbeloved, nyour election of God. 5 For our gospel came onot unto you in word only, but also oin power, and opin the Holy Ghost, and in qmuch assurance; as rye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And sye became followers of us, and of the Lord, thaving received the word in much affliction, uwwith joy of wthe Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were xensamples to all that believe in yMacedonia and yAchaia. 8 For from you zsounded out the word of the Lord not only in yMacedonia and yAchaia, but also ain every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of bentering in we had unto you, and how cye turned to God dfrom idols to serve ethe living and ftrue God; 10 And gto wait for hhis Son ifrom heaven, kwhom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, lwhich delivered us from mthe wrath to come.

2 For yourselves, brethren, know our aentrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were bshamefully entreated, as ye know, cat Philippi, dwe were bold in our God eto speak unto you the gospel of God with much fcontention. 3 For our gexhortation was not of hdeceit, nor of iuncleanness, nor in kguile: 4 But as lwe were allowed of God mto be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as npleasing men, but God, owhich trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time knused we flattering words, as ye know, nor pa cloke of qcovetousness; rGod is witness: 6 Nor sof men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when twe might have ||been uburdensome, as wthe apostles of Christ. 7 But we were xgentle among you, even yas a nurse cherisheth her children: 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, zbut also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9 For ye remember, brethren, zzour labour and travail: for alabouring aanight and day, because we would not bbe chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10 cYe are witnesses, and dGod also, chow eholily and ejustly and funblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 As ye know how we exhorted and gcomforted and charged every one of you, has a father doth his children, 12 iThat ye would walk worthy of God, jwho hath called you unto khis kingdom and glory. 13 For this cause also thank we God lwithout ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God mwhich ye heard of us, ye received it nnot as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, obecame followers of pthe churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for qye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, reven as they have of the Jews: 15 sWho both killed the Lord Jesus, and ttheir own prophets, and have ||persecuted us; and uthey please not God, and ware contrary to all men: 16 xForbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, yto fill up their sins alway: for zthe wrath ais come upon them bto the uttermost.

17 But we, brethren, cbeing taken from you dfor a short time ein presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly fto see your face with great desire. 18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but gSatan hhindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or ijoy, or icrown of ||krejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ lat his coming? 20 For ye are our glory and joy.

3 Wherefore awhen we could no longer bforbear, cwe thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 2 And sent cdTimotheus, ccour brother, and minister of God, and our defellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, fto establish you, and to gcomfort you concerning your faith: 3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that hwe are appointed thereunto. 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before hthat we should suffer tribulation; even as iit came to pass, and ye know. 5 For this cause, awhen I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means kthe tempter lhave tempted you, and mour labour be in vain. 6 But now nwhen Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of oyour faith and charity, and pthat ye have good remembrance of us always, qdesiring greatly to see us, as qwe also to see you: 7 Therefore, brethren, rwe were gcomforted over you in all our affliction and sdistress by your faith: 8 For now twe live, if ye ustand fast in the Lord. 9 For wwhat thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10 xNight and day xypraying exceedingly zthat we might see your face, and amight perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11 Now God himself band our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ||cdirect our way unto you. 12 And the Lord dmake you to increase and abound ein love fone toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may gstablish your hearts hunblameable in holiness before God, beven our Father, iat the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ kwith all his saints.

4 aFurthermore then we ||bbeseech you, brethren, and ||cexhort you by the Lord Jesus, that das ye have received of us ehow ye ought to walk and fto please God, so ye would gabound more and more. 2 For ye know dwhat commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is hthe will of God, even your isanctification, kthat ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how lto possess mhis vessel in isanctification and nhonour; 5 Not in othe lust of oconcupiscence, even pas the Gentiles qwhich know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and ||defraud rhis brother ||in any matter: because that the Lord sis the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and ttestified. 7 For God uhath not called us unto wuncleanness, but xunto iholiness. 8 yHe therefore that ||despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, zwho hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching abrotherly love bye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves bbare taught of God cto love one another. 10 And indeed dye do it toward all the brethren which are in all eMacedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye fincrease more and more; 11 And that ye gstudy hto be quiet, and ito do kyour own business, and lto work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 mThat ye may walk mnhonestly toward othem that are without, and that ye may have lack ||of nothing.

13 But pI would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning qthem which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, reven as others swhich have no hope. 14 For tif we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so quthem also which sleep in Jesus wwill God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you xby the word of the Lord, that ywe which are alive and remain unto zthe coming of the Lord shall not aprevent qthem which are asleep. 16 For bthe Lord himself shall descend cfrom heaven with a shout, with the voice of dthe archangel, and with ethe trump of God: and fthe dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then gwe which are alive and remain shall be hcaught up together with them iin the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so kshall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore ||lcomfort one another with these words.

5 But of athe times and the seasons, brethren, bye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that cthe day of the Lord so cometh das a thief in the night. 3 For when ethey shall say, Peace and safety; then fsudden gdestruction cometh upon them, as htravail upon a woman with child; and ithey shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, jare not in darkness, that cthat day should overtake you das a thief. 5 Ye are all kthe children of light, and the children of the day: lwe are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not msleep, as do others; but let us nwatch and obe sober. 7 For they that msleep sleep in the night; and pthey that be drunken qare drunken rin the night. 8 But let us, kwho are of the day, obe sober, sputting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not tappointed us uto wrath, but wto obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 xWho died for us, that, whether we nwake or msleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore ||ycomfort yourselves together, and zedify one another, even as also ye do.

12 And we beseech you, brethren, ato know them which labour among you, and bare over you in the Lord, and cadmonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And dbe at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we ||exhort you, brethren, cwarn them that are ||unruly, ecomfort the feebleminded, fsupport the weak, gbe patient toward all men. 15 hSee that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever ifollow that which is good, both jamong yourselves, and to all men. 16 klRejoice evermore. 17 kmPray nwithout ceasing. 18 oIn every thing give thanks: for this is pthe will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 qQuench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not rprophesyings. 21 sProve all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 tAbstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And uthe very God of peace wsanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole xspirit and xsoul and body ybe preserved zblameless aunto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 bFaithful is che that calleth you, who also will do it.

25 dBrethren, pray for us. 26 eGreet all the brethren with an holy kiss. 27 I ||charge you by the Lord that fthis epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. 28 gThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

The first epistle unto the Thessalonians was written afrom Athens.

The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle

to the

Thessalonians

1 *aPaul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 bWe are bound to cthank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your cfaith groweth exceedingly, and the ccharity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4 dSo that we ourselves glory in you in ethe churches of God for your cpatience and cfaith fin all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 Which is ga manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be hcounted worthy of the kingdom of God, ffor which ye also suffer: 6 iSeeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And jto you who are troubled krest with us, when lthe Lord Jesus mshall be revealed from heaven nwith †his mighty angels, 8 oIn flaming fire ||ptaking vengeance on them qthat know not God, and rthat obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 sWho shall be punished with everlasting tdestruction ufrom the presence of the Lord, and wfrom the glory of his power; 10 wWhen he shall come xto be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our xxtestimony among you ywas believed) zin that day. 11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would ||hcount you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the agood pleasure of his bgoodness, and cthe work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ dmay be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Now we beseech you, brethren, aby the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by bour gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or cbe troubled, neither dby spirit, nor eby word, nor eby letter as from us, as that fthe day of Christ is at hand. 3 gLet no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, hexcept there come ia falling away first, and jthat man of sin be revealed, kthe son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and jexalteth himself above all lthat is called God, or mthat is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 nRemember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what ||owithholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For pthe mystery of qiniquity doth already work: only he who now oletteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that jqWicked be revealed, rwhom the Lord shall consume swith the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with tthe brightness of ahis coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is uafter the working of wSatan xwith all power and ysigns and lying ywonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of zunrighteousness in athem that perish; because they received not bthe love of zthe truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause cGod shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe da lie: 12 That they all might be damned who ebelieved not zthe truth, but fhad pleasure in zunrighteousness.

13 But gwe are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, hbrethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath ifrom the beginning chosen you to salvation kthrough sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto lhe called you by our gospel, mto the obtaining of the lglory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, nstand fast, and hold othe traditions which ye have been taught, whether pby word, or pour epistle. 16 Now qour Lord Jesus Christ himself, and rGod, even our Father, swhich hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting tconsolation and ugood hope through grace, 17 vComfort your hearts, and wstablish you in every xgood word and work.

3 aFinally, brethren, bpray for us, that the word of the Lord †cmay have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that dwe may be delivered from †unreasonable and wicked men: efor all men have not faith. 3 But fthe Lord is faithful, who shall gstablish you, and hkeep you from ievil. 4 And kwe have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord ldirect your hearts into the love of God, and into ||the patient waiting for Christ.

6 Now we command you, brethren, min the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, nthat ye owithdraw yourselves from every pbrother that qwalketh disorderly, and not after rthe tradition which he received of us. 7 For yourselves know how ye ought sto follow us: for twe behaved not ourselves qdisorderly among you; 8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but uwrought with uulabour and travail unight and day, that we might not be uchargeable to any of you: 9 vNot because we have not power, but to make ourselves wan ensample unto you sto follow us. 10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that xif any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which qwalk among you disorderly, xworking not at all, but are ybusybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, xthat with zquietness they work, and eat their own bread. 13 But ye, brethren, ||abe not weary in well doing. 14 And if any man obey not our word ||by bthis epistle, note that man, and chave no company with him, that dhe may be ashamed. 15 eYet count him not as an enemy, but fadmonish him as a brother. 16 Now gthe Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

17 hThe salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. 18 iThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The second epistle to the Thessalonians was written afrom Athens.