2 Thessalonians 3

New Testament for Everyone

Requests for prayer

3 Finally, my dear family, pray for us, that the word of the Lord will go forward quickly and be glorified, as it has among you; ² and that we may be rescued from evil and wicked people. Not all, you see, have faith! ³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

⁴ We are confident in the Lord about you, that you are doing, and will continue to do, what we instructed you. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts towards the love of God and the patience of the Messiah.

The dangers of idleness

⁶ Here is a command we have for you, my dear family, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Keep away from any member of the family who is stepping out of line, and not behaving according to the tradition that you received from us.

⁷ You yourselves know, after all, how you should copy us. We didn’t step out of line, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. We worked night and day, with labor and struggle, so as not to place a burden on any of you. ⁹ It wasn’t that we don’t have the right; it was so that we could give you an example, for you to copy us. ¹⁰ And, indeed, when we were with you, we gave you this command: those who won’t work shouldn’t eat!

¹¹ You see, we hear that there are some among you who are stepping out of line, behaving in an unruly fashion, not being busy with real work, but just busybodies. ¹² To people like that we give this commandment and exhortation in the Lord Jesus the Messiah: do your own work in peace, and eat your own bread. ¹³ As for you, my dear family, don’t get tired of doing what is right!

Final remarks

¹⁴ If anyone doesn’t obey our word in this letter, take note of them. Don’t have any dealings with such a person, so that they may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Don’t consider a person like this an enemy: rebuke them as a member of the family. ¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷ I, Paul, am sending you this greeting in my own hand. This is the sign in each letter of mine; this is how I write. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with you all.