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Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the assembly of Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!

We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth your faith, and abound doth the love of each one of you all, to one another;

so that we ourselves do glory in you in the assemblies of God, for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye bear;

a token of the righteous judgment of God, for your being counted worthy of the reign of God, for which also ye suffer,

since [it is] a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling you -- trouble,

and to you who are troubled -- rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with messengers of his power,

in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who shall suffer justice -- destruction age-during -- from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength,

10 when He may come to be glorified in his saints, and to be wondered at in all those believing -- because our testimony was believed among you -- in that day;

11 for which also we do pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling, and may fulfil all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of the faith in power,

12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

And we ask you, brethren, in regard to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him,

that ye be not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the day of Christ hath arrived;

let not any one deceive you in any manner, because -- if the falling away may not come first, and the man of sin be revealed -- the son of the destruction,

who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- [the day doth not come].

Do ye not remember that, being yet with you, these things I said to you?

and now, what is keeping down ye have known, for his being revealed in his own time,

for the secret of the lawlessness doth already work, only he who is keeping down now [will hinder] -- till he may be out of the way,

and then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,

[him,] whose presence is according to the working of the Adversary, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders,

10 and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because the love of the truth they did not receive for their being saved,

11 and because of this shall God send to them a working of delusion, for their believing the lie,

12 that they may be judged -- all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the unrighteousness.

13 And we -- we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, that God did choose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth,

14 to which He did call you through our good news, to the acquiring of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ;

15 so, then, brethren, stand ye fast, and hold the deliverances that ye were taught, whether through word, whether through our letter;

16 and may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace,

17 comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

As to the rest, pray ye, brethren, concerning us, that the word of the Lord may run and may be glorified, as also with you,

and that we may be delivered from the unreasonable and evil men, for the faith [is] not of all;

and stedfast is the Lord, who shall establish you, and shall guard [you] from the evil;

and we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that the things that we command you ye both do and will do;

and the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.

And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother disorderly walking, and not after the deliverance that ye received from us,

for yourselves have known how it behoveth [you] to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;

nor for nought did we eat bread of any one, but in labour and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of you;

not because we have not authority, but that ourselves a pattern we might give to you, to imitate us;

10 for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,

11 for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working,

12 and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;

13 and ye, brethren, may ye not be weary doing well,

14 and if any one do not obey our word through the letter, this one note ye, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,

15 and as an enemy count [him] not, but admonish ye [him] as a brother;

16 and may the Lord of the peace Himself give to you the peace always in every way; the Lord [is] with you all!

17 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is a sign in every letter; thus I write;

18 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [is] with you all! Amen.

Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(D)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We ought always to thank God for you,(E) brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.(F) Therefore, among God’s churches we boast(G) about your perseverance and faith(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.(I)

All this is evidence(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just:(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you(M) and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven(N) in blazing fire(O) with his powerful angels.(P) He will punish(Q) those who do not know God(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(S) They will be punished with everlasting destruction(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord(U) and from the glory of his might(V) 10 on the day(W) he comes to be glorified(X) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.(Y)

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,(Z) that our God may make you worthy(AA) of his calling,(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.(AD) 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(AF) and our being gathered to him,(AG) we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter(AH)—asserting that the day of the Lord(AI) has already come.(AJ) Don’t let anyone deceive you(AK) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion(AL) occurs and the man of lawlessness[d] is revealed,(AM) the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(AN) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(AO)

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(AP) And now you know what is holding him back,(AQ) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back(AR) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed,(AS) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(AT) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(AU) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(AV) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(AW) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(AX) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(AY) 11 For this reason God sends them(AZ) a powerful delusion(BA) so that they will believe the lie(BB) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(BC)

Stand Firm

13 But we ought always to thank God for you,(BD) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[e](BE) to be saved(BF) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit(BG) and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you(BH) to this through our gospel,(BI) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm(BJ) and hold fast to the teachings[f] we passed on to you,(BK) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,(BL) who loved us(BM) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage(BN) your hearts and strengthen(BO) you in every good deed and word.

Request for Prayer

As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(BP) pray for us(BQ) that the message of the Lord(BR) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.(BS) And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,(BT) for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful,(BU) and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.(BV) We have confidence(BW) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts(BX) into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Warning Against Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(BY) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(BZ) every believer who is idle and disruptive(CA) and does not live according to the teaching[g] you received from us.(CB) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(CC) We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(CD) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(CE) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(CF) 10 For even when we were with you,(CG) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(CH) shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(CI) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(CJ) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(CK) 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.(CL)

14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them,(CM) in order that they may feel ashamed.(CN) 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.(CO)

Final Greetings

16 Now may the Lord of peace(CP) himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(CQ)

17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,(CR) which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.(CS)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
  2. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.
  3. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or God and Lord, Jesus Christ
  4. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
  5. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
  6. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions
  7. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition