1 YOU yourselves know, brethren, what a reception we had from you, that it was not without result,

2 but after we had suffered and been roughly treated, as you know, in Philippi, we made bold in our God to speak to you the good news of God with great wrestling.

3 For our appeal springs not from deception, nor from impure motives, nor from cunning,

4 but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, not as if we were pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

5 Nor did we ever fall into flattering talk, as you know, nor use any pretext for self-enrichment \'97 God is witness \'97

6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or others, although we could have claimed the dignity of Christ's apostles.

7 But we became gentle in the midst of you like a nursing mother cherishing her own children.

8 Yearning over you so, we would gladly have imparted to you not only God's good news but our own lives as well, because you had become dear to us.

9 For you remember, brethren, our toil and labor as we worked night and day so as not to burden any one of you while we proclaimed to you the good news of God.

10 You are witnesses \'97 and God is witness \'97 how purely and justly and blamelessly we acted toward you who believe.

11 You know that just like a father toward his own children we encouraged each one of you, and warned and conjured you

12 to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 For this reason we unceasingly give thanks to God that when you received from us the report of the message of God you accepted it not as the message of men, but, as it truly is, the message of God, which also is doing its work in you who believe.

14 For you became imitators, brethren, of the churches of God that are in Judaea in Christ Jesus, because you too suffered the same things from your fellow countrymen that they did from the Jews,

15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out and do not please God and are enemies to all men,

16 trying to prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. All this goes always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's fiercest wrath has overtaken them.

17 But we, brethren, when bereft of you for a little while, out of sight not out of mind, endeavored more earnestly to see your faces, with great longing.

18 For that reason we determined to come to you, yes, I, Paul, more than once: but Satan hindered us.

19 For what is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?

20 You are our glory and joy.