Passage

1 Thessalonians 2.3-12

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain: 2. but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict."

"3. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4. but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts. 5. For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness; 6. nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7. But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children: 8. even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were become very dear to us. 9. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe: 11. as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, 12. to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory."

"13. And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. 14. For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;" (1 Thessalonians 2:1-14, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain, 2. but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict."

"3. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 4. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. 5. For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness), 6. nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8. Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. 9. For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God. 10. You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. 11. As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12. to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory."

"13. For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. 14. For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;" (1 Thessalonians 2:1-14, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention."

"3. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. ^{been: or, used authority} 7. But we were gentle among you, even as 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, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."

"13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not 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, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:" (1 Thessalonians 2:1-14, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. For yourselves have known, brethren, our entrance in unto you, that it did not become vain, 2. but having both suffered before, and having been injuriously treated (as ye have known) in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the good news of God in much conflict,"

"3. for our exhortation [is] not out of deceit, nor out of uncleanness, nor in guile, 4. but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who is proving our hearts, 5. for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God [is] witness!) 6. nor seeking of men glory, neither from you nor from others, being able to be burdensome, as Christ's apostles. 7. But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may cherish her own children, 8. so being desirous of you, we are well-pleased to impart to you not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because beloved ye have become to us, 9. for ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for, night and day working not to be a burden upon any of you, we did preach to you the good news of God; 10. ye [are] witnesses, God also, how kindly and righteously, and blamelessly to you who believe we became, 11. even as ye have known, how each one of you, as a father his own children, we are exhorting you, and comforting, and testifying, 12. for your walking worthily of God, who is calling you to His own reign and glory."

"13. Because of this also, we, we do give thanks to God continually, that, having received the word of hearing from us of God, ye accepted, not the word of man, but as it is truly, the word of God, who also doth work in you who believe; 14. for ye became imitators, brethren, of the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because such things ye suffered, even ye, from your own countrymen, as also they from the Jews," (1 Thessalonians 2:1-14, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

Apostle

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.