For you yourselves know
, brethren
, that our 1 acoming
to you bwas not in vain
,
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
1 eopposition
.
For our aexhortation does not come from berror
or
cimpurity
or
1by way
of ddeceit
;
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 1 dexamines
our hearts
.
For we never came
1with flattering
speech
, as you know
, nor
with aa pretext
for greed
-- bGod
is witness
--
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
.
But we 1proved to be 2 agentle
3among
you, bas a nursing
mother 4tenderly
cares
for her own
children
.
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.
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
.
You are witnesses, and so is aGod
, bhow
devoutly
and uprightly
and blamelessly
we 1behaved
toward you 2believers
;
just as you know
how
we were aexhorting
and encouraging
and 1 bimploring
each
one
of you as ca father
would his own
children
,
so that you would awalk
in a manner
worthy
of the God
who bcalls
you into His own
kingdom
and cglory
.
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
.
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
,
awho both killed
the Lord
Jesus
and bthe prophets
, and 1drove
us out. 2They are not pleasing
to God
, 2but hostile
to all
men
,
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
.
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
.
1For awe wanted to come
to you--I, Paul
, 2 bmore
than
once
--and yet cSatan
dhindered
us.
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 1 bcoming
?
For you are aour glory and joy
.