¹So when we could no longer endure, we agreed to be left in Athens alone, ²and we sent Timothy our brother and servant of God and our co-worker in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen you and encourage you concerning your faith, ³so that no-one should be disturbed by these afflictions. After all, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. ⁴For indeed, when we were with you, we would tell you in advance that we would be afflicted, as it duly turned out, which you know. ⁵This is why when I could no longer endure either, I sent inquirers to find out about your faith, as to whether the tempter has tempted you, and our toil had been in vain. ⁶But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love, and that you always have fond memories of us, and long to see us, as we do you, ⁷it is with good reason that we have been encouraged, brothers, about you in all our affliction and distress, by your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. ⁹For what thanks can we return to God concerning you for all the joy with which we rejoice on your account before our God, ¹⁰night and day pleading most earnestly to be able to see your face and to rectify the shortcomings of your faith? ¹¹Now may our God and father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, guide our way towards you. ¹²And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards everyone, as we for our part do towards you, ¹³in order to strengthen your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his holy ones.