Add parallel Print Page Options

13 And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

Read full chapter

13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies(A) who talk nonsense,(B) saying things they ought not to.

Read full chapter

19 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    so don’t hang around with chatterers.

Read full chapter

19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(A)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

Read full chapter

An Exhortation to Proper Living

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers[a] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received[b] from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 3:6a Greek from every brother.
  2. 3:6b Some manuscripts read you received.

Warning Against Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(A) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(B) every believer who is idle and disruptive(C) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(D) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(E) 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(F) 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,(G) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(H) 10 For even when we were with you,(I) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(J) shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(K)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition

30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

Read full chapter

30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples(A) after them.

Read full chapter

27 She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.

Read full chapter

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Read full chapter

11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money.

Read full chapter

11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(A) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

Read full chapter

20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.

Read full chapter

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything(A) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

Read full chapter

Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.

Read full chapter

Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.(A) Do not move around from house to house.

Read full chapter

16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.[a]

“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 19:16 Hebrew Do not act as a merchant toward your own people.

16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander(A) among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.(B) I am the Lord.

Read full chapter

10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.

Read full chapter

10 So when I come,(A) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.(B) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.(C)

Read full chapter

15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.

Read full chapter

15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

Read full chapter

10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Read full chapter

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Read full chapter