11. For you know how, as a father with his own children,
12. we exhorted and encouraged and urged each one of you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
13. For this reason, we also thank God constantly that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is—the word of God, which does its work in you who believe.
14. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s communities in Messiah Yeshua that are in Judea—for you suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen as they did from the Judean leaders,
15. who killed both the Lord Yeshua and the prophets and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God and hostile to all people,
16. hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they might be saved. As a result, they constantly fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.
17. But brothers and sisters, after we were orphaned by separation from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we were all the more eager in our great longing to see you face to face.
18. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—but satan thwarted us.
19. For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Yeshua at His coming? Is it not you?
20. For you are our glory and joy!