brothers

Here this means fellow Christians, including both men and women.

became imitators of the churches

The Thessalonian believers endured persecutions similar to the Judean believers. "became like the churches"

"from other Thessalonians"

"They try to make us stop speaking"

Paul speaks as though someone can fill a container with their own sins as with liquid. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

This refers to God finally judging and punishing people for their sins.