
CAP 1
1 Poul, and Siluan, and Tymothe, to the chirche of Tessalonicensis, in God the fadir,
2 and in the Lord Jhesu Crist, grace and pees to you. We doon thankyngis to God euere more for alle you, and we maken mynde of you in oure preyeris withouten ceessyng;
3 hauynge mynde of the werk of youre feith, and trauel, and charite, and abyding of the hope of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bifor God and oure fadir.
4 Ye louyde britheren of God, we witinge youre chesing;
5 for oure gospel was not at you in word oneli, but also in vertu, and in the Hooli Goost, and in myche plente; as ye witen, whiche we weren among you for you;
6 and ye ben maad foleweris of vs, and of the Lord, resseyuynge the word in myche tribulacioun, with ioye of the Hooli Goost;
7 so that ye ben maad ensaumple to alle men that bileuen, in Macedonye and in Acaie.
8 For of you the word of the Lord is pupplischid, not oneli in Macedonye and Acaie, but youre feith that is to God, in ech place is gon forth; so that it is not nede to vs to speke ony thing.
9 For thei schewen of you, what maner entre we hadden to you, and hou ye ben conuertid to God fro maumettis, to serue to the lyuynge God and veri; and to abide his sone fro heuenes,
10 whom he reiside fro deth, the Lord Jhesu, that delyuerede us fro wraththe to comynge.

CAP 2
1 For, britheren, ye witen oure entre to you, for it was not veyn;
2 but first we suffriden, and weren punyschid with wrongis, as ye witen in Filippis, and hadden trust in oure Lord, to speke to you the gospel of God in myche bisynesse.
3 And oure exortacioun is not of errour, nether of vnclennesse, nether in gile,
4 but as we ben preued of God, that the gospel of God schulde be takun to vs, so we speken; not as plesynge to men, but to God that preueth oure hertis.
5 For nether we weren ony tyme in word of glosing, as ye witen, nether in occasioun of auerise; God is witnesse; nether sekinge glorie of men,
6 nether of you,
7 nether of othere, whanne we, as Cristis apostlis, miyten haue be in charge to you. But we weren maad litle in the myddil of you, as if a nursche fostre hir sones;
8 so we desiringe you with greet loue, wolden haue bitake to you, not oneli the gospel of God, but also oure lyues, for ye ben maad most dereworthe to vs.
9 For, britheren, ye ben myndeful of oure trauel and werynesse; we worchiden nyyt and day, that we schulden not greue ony of you, and prechiden to you the euangelie of God.
10 God and ye ben witnessis, hou holili, and iustli, and with outen pleynt, we weren to you that bileueden.
11 As ye witen, hou we preyeden you, and coumfortiden ech of you, as the fadir hise sones,
12 and we han witnessid, that ye schulden go worthili to God, that clepide you in to his kingdom and glorie.
13 Therfor we doon thankingis to God with outen ceessyng. For whanne ye hadden take of vs the word `of the heryng of God, ye token it not as the word of men, but as `it is verili, the word of God, that worchith in you that han bileued.
14 For, britheren, ye ben maad foleweris of the chirchis of God, that ben in Jude, in Crist Jhesu, for ye han suffrid the same thingis of youre euene lynagis, as thei of the Jewis.
15 Whiche slowen bothe the Lord Jhesu and the profetis, and pursueden vs, and thei plesen not to God, and thei ben aduersaries to alle men;
16 forbedinge vs to speke to hethene men, that thei be maad saaf, that thei fille her synnes euere more; for the wraththe of God cam on hem in to the ende.
17 And, britheren, we desolat fro you for a tyme, bi mouth and in biholding, but not in herte, han hiyed more plenteuousli to se youre face with greet desir.
18 For we wolden come to you, yhe, Y Poul, onys and eftsoone, but Sathanas lettide vs.
19 For whi what is oure hope, or ioye, or coroun of glorie? Whether ye ben not bifore oure Lord Jhesu Crist in his comyng?
20 For ye ben oure glorie and ioye.

CAP 3
1 For which thing we suffriden no lengere, and it pleside to vs to dwelle aloone at Atenys;
2 and we senten Tymothe, oure brother, and mynystre of God in the euangelie of Crist, to you to be confermyd, and to be tauyt for youre feith,
3 that no man be mouyd in these tribulaciouns. For ye silf witen, that in this this thing we ben set.
4 For whanne we weren at you, we biforseiden to you, that we schulden suffre tribulaciouns; as it is don, and ye witen.
5 Therfor Y Poul, no lenger abidinge, sente to knowe youre feith, lest perauenture he that temptith tempte you, and youre trauel be maad veyn.
6 But now, whanne Tymothe schal come to vs fro you, and telle to vs youre feith and charite, and that ye han good mynde of vs, euere desyringe to se vs, as we also you;
7 therfor, britheren, we ben coumfortid in you, in al oure nede and tribulacioun, bi youre feith.
8 For now we lyuen, if ye stonden in the Lord.
9 For what doyng of thankingis moun we yelde to God for you, in al ioye, in which we ioyen for you bifor oure Lord?
10 nyyt and dai more plenteuousli preiynge, that we se youre face, and fulfille tho thingis that failen to youre feith.
11 But God hym silf and oure fadir, and the Lord Jhesu Crist, dresse oure weye to you.
12 And the Lord multiplie you, and make youre charite to be plenteuouse of ech to othere, and in to alle men, as also we in you;
13 that youre hertis ben confermyd with outen pleynt in holynesse, bifor God and oure fadir, in the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist with alle hise seyntis. Amen.

CAP 4
1 Therfor, britheren, fro hennus forward we preien you, and bisechen in the Lord Jhesu, that as ye han resseyued of vs, hou it bihoueth you to go and to plese God, so walke ye, that ye abounde the more.
2 For ye witen what comaundementis Y haue youun to you bi the Lord Jhesu.
3 For this is the wille of God, youre holynesse, that ye absteyne you fro fornycacioun.
4 That ech of you kunne welde his vessel in holynesse, and onour;
5 not in passioun of lust, as hethene men that knowen not God.
6 And that no man ouergo, nethir disseyue his brothir in chaffaring. For the Lord is venger of alle these thingis, as we biforseiden to you, and han witnessid.
7 For God clepide not vs in to vnclennesse, but in to holynesse.
8 Therfor he that dispisith these thingis, dispisith not man, but God, that also yaf his holi spirit in vs.
9 But of the charite of britherhed we hadden no nede to write to you; ye silf han lerud of God, that ye loue togidere;
10 for ye don that in to alle britheren in al Macedonye. And, britheren, we preyen you, that ye abounde more; and taken kepe, that ye be quyet;
11 and that ye do youre nede, and `ye worche with youre hoondis, as we han comaundid to you; and that ye wandre onestli to hem that ben with outforth, and that of no mannus ye desir ony thing.
12 For, britheren, we wolen not, that ye vnknowe of men that dien, that ye be not soreuful, as othere that han not hope.
13 For if we bileuen, that Jhesu was deed, and roos ayen, so God schal lede with hym hem that ben deed bi Jhesu.
14 And we seien this thing to you in the word of the Lord, that we that lyuen, that ben left in the comyng of the Lord, schulen not come bifor hem that ben deed.
15 For the Lord hym silf schal come doun fro heuene, in the comaundement, and in the vois of an archaungel, and in the trumpe of God; and the deed men that ben in Crist, schulen rise ayen first.
16 Afterward we that lyuen, that ben left, schulen be rauyschid togidere with hem in cloudis, metinge Crist `in to the eir; and so euere more we schulen be with the Lord.
17 Therfor be ye coumfortid togidere in these wordis.

CAP 5
1 But, britheren, of tymes and momentis ye neden not that Y write to you.
2 For ye silf witen diligentli, that the dai of the Lord schal come, as a theef in the niyt.
3 For whanne thei schulen seie pees is, and sikirnesse, thanne sudeyn deth schal come on hem, as sorewe to a womman that is with child, and thei schulen not scape.
4 But, britheren, ye ben not in derknessis, that the ilke dai as a theef catche you.
5 For alle ye ben the sones of liyt, and sones of dai; we ben not of niyt, nether of derknessis.
6 Therfor slepe we not as othere; but wake we, and be we sobre.
7 For thei that slepen, slepen in the niyt, and thei that ben drunkun, ben drunkun in the niyt.
8 But we that ben of the dai, ben sobre, clothid in the haburioun of feith and of charite, and in the helme of hope of heelthe.
9 For God puttide not vs in to wraththe, but in to the purchasing of heelthe bi oure Lord Jhesu Crist, that was deed for vs;
10 that whether we waken, whether we slepen, we lyue togidere with him.
11 For which thing comforte ye togidere, and edefie ye ech other, as ye doon.
12 And, britheren, we preien you, that ye knowen hem that trauelen among you, and ben souereyns to you in the Lord, and techen you,
13 that ye han hem more aboundantli in charyte; and for the werk of hem, haue ye pees with hem.
14 And, britheren, we preien you, repreue ye vnpesible men. Coumforte ye men of litil herte, resseyue ye sijke men, be ye pacient to alle men.
15 Se ye, that no man yelde yuel for yuel to ony man; but euere more sue ye that that is good, ech to othere and to alle men.
16 Euere more ioye ye; without ceessing preye ye;
17 in alle thingis do ye thankyngis.
18 For this is the wille of God in Crist Jhesu, in alle you.
19 Nyle ye quenche the spirit;
20 nyle ye dispise prophecies.
21 But preue ye alle thingis, and holde ye that thing that is good.
22 Absteyne you fro al yuel spice.
23 And God hym silf of pees make you hooli bi alle thingis, that youre spirit be kept hool, and soule, and bodi, without pleynt, in the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.
24 God is trewe, that clepide you, which also schal do.
25 Britheren, preye ye for vs.
26 Grete ye wel alle britheren in hooli cos.
27 Y coniure you bi the Lord, that this pistle be red to alle hooli britheren.
28 The grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist be with you. Amen.
