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2 Thessalonians
Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians
{1:1} Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the
Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: {1:2} Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
{1:3} We are bound to always give thanks to God for you,
[1>]brothers,[<1] even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows
exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one
another abounds; {1:4} so 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. {1:5} This 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. {1:6} Since it
is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict
you, {1:7} and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in
flaming fire, {1:8} giving vengeance to those who don't know God, and
to those who don't obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, {1:9} who will
pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from
the glory of his might, {1:10} when 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.
{1:11} To 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; {1:12} that the name of our Lord
Jesus[2] may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
{2:1} Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and our gathering together to him, we ask you {2:2} not 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. {2:3}
Let 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, {2:4} he 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. {2:5} Don't you remember
that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? {2:6} Now you
know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his
own season. {2:7} For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only
there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. {2:8}
Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the
breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming;
{2:9} even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with
all power and signs and lying wonders, {2:10} and 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. {2:11} Because of
this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a
lie; {2:12} that they all might be judged who didn't believe the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness. {2:13} But 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; {2:14} to which he called you
through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. {2:15} So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions
which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.
{2:16} Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who
loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
{2:17} comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and
word.
{3:1} Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may
spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you; {3:2} and that
we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have
faith. {3:3} But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and
guard you from the evil one. {3:4} We have confidence in the Lord
concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.
{3:5} May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into
the patience of Christ.
{3:6} Now 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.
{3:7} For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave
ourselves rebelliously among you, {3:8} neither 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; {3:9} not because
we don't have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that
you should imitate us. {3:10} For even when we were with you, we
commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat."
{3:11} For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don't
work at all, but are busybodies. {3:12} Now those who are that way, we
command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they
work, and eat their own bread.
{3:13} But you, brothers, don't be weary in doing well. {3:14} If
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. {3:15}
Don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
{3:16} Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times
in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
{3:17} The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign
in every letter: this is how I write. {3:18} The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
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Footnotes:
[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"
