Day 63 of 365

¹But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.

²For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

³For when they are saying, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

⁴But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.

⁵You are all children of light, and children of the day. We do not belong to the night, nor to darkness,

⁶so then let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober.

⁷For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.

⁸But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

⁹For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

¹¹Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.

¹²But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you,

¹³and to respect and honor them in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.

¹⁵See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

¹⁶Rejoice always.

¹⁷Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit.

²⁰Do not despise prophesies.

²¹Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.

²⁵Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

¹Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

⁴so that we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

⁵This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.

⁶Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

⁷and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

⁸giving vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

⁹who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

¹⁰when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

¹¹To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

¹²that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you

²not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of the Lord had come.

³Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

⁴he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.

⁵Do you not remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things?

⁶Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.

⁷For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.

⁸Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming;

⁹even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

¹⁰and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie;

¹²that they all might be judged who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

¹³But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth;

¹⁴to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.

¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

¹⁷comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

¹God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

²So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory.

³Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.

⁴So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.

⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,

⁶when I remember you on my bed, and think about you in the night watches.

⁷For you have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.

⁸My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up.

⁹But those who seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁰They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food.

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching:

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us, Let's lie in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²let's swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

¹⁵My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

¹⁸but these lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."