1. For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in vain.
2. On the contrary, after we had first suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to tell you the Good News of God—even in the midst of much opposition.
3. For our urging is not out of deceit or impure motives or trickery.
4. But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we declare it—not pleasing men but rather God, who examines our hearts.
5. For as you know and God is witness, we never came with a word of flattery or a motive of greed—
6. or seeking glory from people, whether from you or from others,
7. even though we could have thrown our weight around as emissaries of Messiah. Rather, we proved to be infants among you. Like a nursing mother cherishes her children,
8. in this way we were yearning for you. We were delighted to share with you not only the Good News of God but also our very souls, because you had become dear to us.
9. For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship—working night and day, so as not to burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the Good News of God.
10. You are witnesses, along with God, of how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we behaved toward you who believe.
11. For you know how, as a father with his own children,