Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you produced results.

弟兄们，你们自己原晓得我们进到你们那里并不是徒然的。

弟兄们，你们自己知道我们来到你们那里并不是徒然的。

弟兄们，你们自己知道我们来到你们那里并不是徒然的。

弟兄姊妹，你们自己知道，我们那次探望你们并没有白费。

弟兄们，你们都知道，我们进到你们那里，并不是白费工夫的。

弟兄们，你们自己知道，我们进到你们那里并不是空无果效的；

弟兄們，你們自己原曉得我們進到你們那裏並不是徒然的。

弟兄們，你們自己知道我們來到你們那裏並不是徒然的。

弟兄們，你們自己知道我們來到你們那裏並不是徒然的。

弟兄姊妹，你們自己知道，我們那次探望你們並沒有白費。

弟兄們，你們都知道，我們進到你們那裡，並不是白費工夫的。

弟兄們，你們自己也知道我們進到你們中間、並不見得是空無所得的；

弟兄們，你們自己知道，我們進到你們那裡並不是空無果效的；

兄弟乎、爾知我儕昔入爾中、非徒然也、

兄弟知我素至爾、非徒然、

兄弟乎、爾知我儕至爾處、非徒然也、

兄弟乎、曩者吾儕之詣爾處、實不為徒勞；此固爾等之所知也。

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure.

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit with you was not without result.

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not in vain,

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.

For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain:

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result.

For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you– it has not proven to be purposeless.

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain,

Now I want to talk about some other matters. Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread quickly. Pray that others will honor it just as you did.

I am the Lord who rules over all. Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire. So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.

If the Lord doesn’t build a house, the work of the builders is useless. If the Lord doesn’t watch over a city, it’s useless for those on guard duty to stand watch over it.

I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

I went because God showed me what he wanted me to do. I spoke in private to those who are respected as leaders. I told them the good news that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t running my race for no purpose. And I wanted to know that I had not been running my race for no purpose.

Because you believed the good news, you are saved. But you must hold firmly to the message I preached to you. If you don’t, you have believed it for nothing.

But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And his grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me.

That’s the reason I sent someone to find out about your faith. I couldn’t wait any longer. I was afraid that Satan had tempted you in some way. Then our work among you would have been useless.

My dear brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.

We remember you when we pray to our God and Father. Your work is produced by your faith. Your service is the result of your love. Your strength to continue comes from your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.Brothers and sisters, you are loved by God. We know that he has chosen you.Our good news didn’t come to you only in words. It came with power. It came with the Holy Spirit’s help. He gave us complete faith in what we were preaching. You know how we lived among you for your good.We and the Lord were your examples. You followed us. You welcomed our message even when you were suffering terribly. You welcomed it with the joy the Holy Spirit gives.So you became a model to all the believers in the lands of Macedonia and Achaia.The Lord’s message rang out from you. That was true not only in Macedonia and Achaia. Your faith in God has also become known everywhere. So we don’t have to say anything about it.The believers themselves report the kind of welcome you gave us. They tell about how you turned away from statues of gods. And you turned to serve the living and true God.They tell about how you are waiting for his Son to come from heaven. God raised him from the dead. He is Jesus. He saves us from God’s anger, and his anger is sure to come.

You will shine as you hold on tight to the word of life. Then I will be able to boast about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing.

We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God’s grace and then do nothing with it.

But I said,“ In spite of my hard work, I feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything. I’ve used up all my strength. It seems as if everything I’ve done is worthless. But the Lord will give me what I should receive. My God will reward me.”

Their work will not be worthless anymore. They will not have children who are sure to face sudden terror. Instead, I will bless them. I will also bless their children after them.

We never stop thanking God for the way you received his word. You heard it from us. But you didn’t accept it as a human word. You accepted it for what it really is. It is God’s word. It is really at work in you who believe.

It seems as if I have kept my heart pure for no reason. It didn’t do me any good to wash my hands to show that I wasn’t guilty of doing anything wrong.

Ostriches are mean to their little ones. They treat them as if they did not belong to them. They do not care that their work was useless.

All these things will happen when he comes. On that day his glory will be seen in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. This includes you, because you believed the witness we gave you.