2 Thessalonians
Greetings of Grace and Thanksgiving
1aPaul and bSilvanus and cTimothy, To the dchurch of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2aGrace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3We ought always ato give thanks to God for you, bbrothers, as is only fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the clove of each one of you all toward one another increases all the more, 4so that we ourselves aboast about you among bthe churches of God for your 1perseverance and faith cin the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
God’s Righteous Judgment
5This is a aplain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be bconsidered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 61Since ait is right 2for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give rest to you who are afflicted 1and to us as well aat the revelation of the Lord Jesus bfrom heaven cwith 2His mighty angels din flaming fire, 8executing vengeance on those who ado not know God and to those who bdo not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9These will pay the penalty of aeternal destruction, baway from the presence of the 1Lord and from the glory of His might, 10when He comes to be aglorified 1in His 2saints on that bday, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our cwitness to you was believed. 11To this end also we apray for you always, that our God will 1,bcount you worthy of your ccalling, and fulfill all your dgood pleasure for egoodness and the fwork of faith with power, 12so that the aname of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Man of Lawlessness
2Now we ask you, abrothers, with regard to the 1,bcoming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our cgathering together to Him, 2that you not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed whether by a aspirit or a bword or a cletter as if from us, to the effect that dthe day of the Lord ehas come. 3aLet no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the 1,bapostasy comes first, and the cman of lawlessness is revealed, the dson of destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself above 1,aevery so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the 2sanctuary of God, bexhibiting himself as being God. 5Do you not remember that awhile I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6And you know awhat restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7For athe mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only bhe who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8And then that lawless one awill be revealed—whom the Lord 1Jesus bwill slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the cappearance of His 2coming— 9whose 1coming is in accord with the working of aSatan, with all power and 2,bsigns and false wonders, 10and with 1all the deception of unrighteousness for athose who perish, because they did not receive the love of bthe truth so as to be saved. 11And for this reason aGod sends upon them a 1,bdeluding influence so that they will believe 2what is false, 12in order that they all may be 1judged who adid not believe the truth, but 2,btook pleasure in unrighteousness.
13aBut we should always give thanks to God for you, bbrothers beloved by the Lord, because cGod has chosen you 1as the first fruits dfor salvation ethrough sanctification 2by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 141It was for this He acalled you through bour gospel, 2that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, astand firm and bhold to the traditions which you were taught, whether cby word of mouth or dby letter 1from us.
16aNow may our Lord Jesus Christ bHimself and God our Father, who has cloved us and given us eternal comfort and dgood hope by grace, 17aencourage your hearts and bstrengthen them in every good work and word.
Disobedient Brothers
3aFinally, brothers, bpray for us that cthe word of the Lord will 1spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2and that we will be arescued from 1perverse and evil men, for not all have 2faith. 3But athe Lord is faithful, who will strengthen and guard you 1from bthe evil one. 4And we have aconfidence in the Lord about you, that you bare doing and will continue to do what we command. 5And may the Lord adirect your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
6Now we command you, brothers, ain the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you 1,bkeep away from every brother who walks in an 2,cunruly manner and not according to dthe tradition which 3they received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to aimitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you, 8nor did we aeat 1anyone’s bread 2without paying for it, but with blabor and hardship we kept cworking night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9not because we do not have athe authority, but in order to offer ourselves bas a model for you, so that you would imitate us. 10For even awhen we were with you, we used to command this to you: bif anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. 11For we hear that some among you are awalking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like bbusybodies. 12Now such persons we command and aexhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that bworking with quietness, they eat their own bread. 13But as for you, abrothers, bdo not lose heart in doing good.
14And if anyone does not obey our word 1,ain this letter, take special note of that person bto not associate with him, so that he will be cput to shame. 15And yet ado not regard him as an enemy, but 1,badmonish him as a cbrother.