Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians
1:1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to
the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ: 1:2Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:3We are bound to always give thanks
to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate,
because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one
of you towards one another abounds; 1:4so that we
ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and
faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure. 1:5This is an obvious sign of the
righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of
the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. 1:6Since it is
a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,
1:7and to give relief to you that are
afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his
mighty angels in flaming fire, 1:8giving vengeance to those who
don't know God, and to those who don't obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus,
1:9who will pay the penalty: eternal
destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 1:10when he comes to be glorified in
his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because
our testimony to you was believed) in that day.
1:11To this end we also pray always
for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill
every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power; 1:12that the name of our Lord
Jesus*
may be glorified in you, and you in
him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2:1Now, brothers, concerning the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask
you 2:2not to be quickly shaken in your
mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as
from us, saying that the day of Christ had come. 2:3Let no one
deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes
first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 2:4he who opposes and exalts himself
against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as
God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 2:5Don't you
remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? 2:6Now you know what is restraining
him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 2:7For the mystery of lawlessness
already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out
of the way. 2:8Then the lawless one will be
revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and bring
to nothing by the brightness of his coming; 2:9even he
whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, 2:10and with all deception of
wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the
love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2:11Because of
this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie;
2:12that they all might be judged who
didn't believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2:13But we are bound to always give
thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you
from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief in the truth; 2:14to which he called you through
our Gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2:15So then, brothers, stand firm,
and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or
by letter.
2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ
himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and
good hope through grace, 2:17comfort your hearts and establish
you in every good work and word.
3:1Finally, brothers, pray for us,
that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as
also with you; 3:2and that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. 3:3But the Lord
is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one. 3:4We have confidence in the Lord
concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. 3:5May the Lord direct your hearts
into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.
3:6Now we command you, brothers, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every
brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they
received from us. 3:7For you know how you ought to
imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you, 3:8neither did we eat bread from
anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night
and day, that we might not burden any of you; 3:9not because
we don't have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you
should imitate us. 3:10For even when we were with you,
we commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither let him
eat." 3:11For we hear of some who walk
among you in rebellion, who don't work at all, but are busybodies. 3:12Now those who are that way, we
command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they
work, and eat their own bread.
3:13But you, brothers, don't be weary
in doing well. 3:14If any man doesn't obey our word
in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the
end that he may be ashamed. 3:15Don't count him as an enemy, but
admonish him as a brother.
3:16Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
3:17The greeting of me, Paul, with my
own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write. 3:18The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen.
Notes:
[1] 1:3
The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also
be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or
"siblings."
[2]
1:12 TR adds "Christ"
