1This letter comes from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2May you have grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3We keep on thanking God for you, brothers and sisters—we just have to! This is the right thing to do because your trust in God is growing in leaps and bounds, and the love you all have for each other increases more and more.

4We speak so proudly of you among the churches of God because of your patient courage and trust in God during all the persecution and trouble you're going through.

5For this is evidence that God is right in the decisions he makes, and that you deserve the kingdom of God for which you are suffering.

6Since God does what's right he will deal appropriately with those who cause you trouble.

7He will free you from your suffering—and us too—when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels,

8bringing judgment on those who reject God and refuse to accept the good news of our Lord Jesus.

9They will rightly experience the consequence of eternal loss, separated from the presence of the Lord and his glorious power,

10on the day when he comes to receive glory from his people, admired by all those who trust in him. This includes you because you were convinced about what we told you.

11That's why we continue to pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of what he's called us to do. May God powerfully fulfill every desire you have to do good and every action that comes from trusting him

12so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be honored by what you do—and in turn you are honored by him through the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.