1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you without ceasing in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction, just as you know what we were like among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith toward God has gone out everywhere, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to await his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.