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¹ So, no longer enduring, we were pleased to be left in Athens alone,² and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, in order to establish you and to encourage you concerning your faith,³ that no one be drawn aside by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.⁴ For even when we were with you, we said to you before that we are about to be afflicted, as it also happened, even you know.⁵ Because of this, no longer enduring, I also sent to know your faith, that the tempting one not somehow tempt you, and our labor should come to be in vain.

⁶ But now Timothy coming to us from you, and announcing good news to us of your love and faith, and that you have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as also we long to see you.⁷ Because of this we were comforted over you, brothers, on all our affliction and distress through your faith,⁸ because now we live, if you should stand fast in the Lord.⁹ For what thanks are we able to return to God concerning you, over all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God,¹⁰ night and day praying exceedingly for me to see your face, and to complete the things lacking in your faith?

¹¹ But may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.¹² And may the Lord make you to increase and to abound in love toward one another and toward all, even as we do also toward you,¹³ in order to establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.