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2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
New International Version
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
New International Version
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We ought always to thank God for you,(A) brothers and sisters,[a] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.(B) 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast(C) about your perseverance and faith(D) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.(E)
5 All this is evidence(F) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy(G) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just:(H) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you(I) 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven(J) in blazing fire(K) with his powerful angels.(L) 8 He will punish(M) those who do not know God(N) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(O) 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction(P) and shut out from the presence of the Lord(Q) and from the glory of his might(R) 10 on the day(S) he comes to be glorified(T) 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.(U)
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,(V) that our God may make you worthy(W) of his calling,(X) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness(Y) and your every deed prompted by faith.(Z) 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,(AA) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[b]
Footnotes
- 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.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or God and Lord, Jesus Christ
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
English Standard Version
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
English Standard Version
Thanksgiving
3 (A)We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,[a] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore (B)we ourselves boast about you (C)in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith (D)in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ's Coming
5 This is (E)evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be (F)considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it (G)just (H)to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant (I)relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when (J)the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven (K)with his mighty angels 8 (L)in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those (M)who do not know God and on those who (N)do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of (O)eternal destruction, (P)away from[b] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 (Q)when he comes on (R)that day (S)to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our (T)testimony to you (U)was believed. 11 To this end we (V)always pray for you, that our God may (W)make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every (X)work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus (Y)may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9 Or destruction that comes from
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
The Message
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
The Message
Justice Is on the Way
3-4 You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks. We’re so proud of you; you’re so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have broadsided you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you.
5-10 All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You’re suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he’ll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we’ve been waiting for. Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the Message will pay for what they’ve done. Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and his splendid power is their sentence. But on that very same day when he comes, he will be exalted by his followers and celebrated by all who believe—and all because you believed what we told you.
11-12 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.
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2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
Contemporary English Version
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
Contemporary English Version
When Christ Returns
3 My dear friends, we always have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love for each other keep growing all the time. 4 This is why we brag about you to all of God's churches. We tell them how patient you are and how you keep on having faith, even though you are going through a lot of trouble and suffering.
5 All this shows that God judges fairly and is making you fit to share in his kingdom for which you are suffering. 6 It is only right for God to punish everyone who is causing you trouble, 7 but he will give you relief from your troubles. God will do the same for us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his powerful angels 8 and with a flaming fire.
Our Lord Jesus will punish anyone who doesn't know God and won't obey his message. 9 (A) Their punishment will be eternal destruction, and they will be kept far from the presence of our Lord and his glorious strength. 10 This will happen on the day when the Lord returns to be praised and honored by all who have faith in him and belong to him. This includes you, because you believed what we said.
11 God chose you, and we keep praying that God will make you worthy of being his people. We pray for God's power to help you do all the good things you hope to do and your faith makes you want to do. 12 Then, because of the undeserved grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, you will bring honor to the name of our Lord Jesus, and he will bring honor to you.
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2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
King James Version
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
King James Version
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with 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 the Lord Jesus Christ.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.