Font Size
2 Thessalonians 1-3
New Life Version
2 Thessalonians 1-3
New Life Version
1 This letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to the church in the city of Thessalonica that belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We must give thanks to God for you always, Christian brothers. It is the right thing to do because your faith is growing so much. Your love for each other is stronger all the time. 4 We are proud of you and tell the other churches about you. We tell them how your faith stays so strong even when people make it hard for you and make you suffer. 5 God wants you to prove yourselves to be worth being in His holy nation by suffering for Him. 6 He does what is right and will allow trouble to come to those who are making it hard for you. 7 He will help you and us who are suffering. This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes down from heaven with His powerful angels in a bright fire. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 They will be punished forever and taken away from the Lord and from the shining-greatness of His power. 10 On the day He comes, His shining-greatness will be seen in those who belong to Him. On that day, He will receive honor from all those who put their trust in Him. You believed what we had to say to you. 11 For this reason, we always pray for you. We pray that our God will make you worth being chosen. We pray that His power will help you do the good things you want to do. We pray that your work of faith will be complete. 12 In this way, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be honored by you and you will be honored by Him. It is through the loving-favor of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some People Will Believe a Lie
2 Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We will be gathered together to meet Him. But we ask you, Christian brothers, 2 do not be troubled in mind or worried by the talk you hear. Some say that the Lord has already come. People may say that I wrote this in a letter or that a spirit told them. 3 Do not let anyone fool you. For the Lord will not come again until many people turn away from God. Then the leader of those who break the law will come. He is the man of sin. 4 He works against and puts himself above every kind of god that is worshiped. He will take his seat in the house of God and say that he himself is God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was with you, I told you this? 6 You know the power that is keeping the man of sin back now. The man of sin will come only when his time is ready. 7 For the secret power of breaking the law is already at work in the world. But that secret power can only do so much until the One Who keeps back the man of sin is taken out of the way. 8 Then this man of sin will come. The Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth. The coming of Christ will put an end to him. 9 Satan will use this man of sin. He will have Satan’s power. He will do strange things and many powerful works that will be false. 10 Those who are lost in sin will be fooled by the things he can do. They are lost in sin because they did not love the truth that would save them. 11 For this reason, God will allow them to follow false teaching so they will believe a lie. 12 They will all be guilty as they stand before God because they wanted to do what was wrong.
You Belong to Those Who Believe the Truth
13 Christian brothers, the Lord loves you. We always thank God for you. It is because God has chosen you from the beginning to save you from the punishment of sin. He chose to make you holy by the Holy Spirit and to give you faith to believe the truth. 14 It was by our preaching the Good News that you were chosen. He chose you to share the shining-greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, Christian brothers, keep a strong hold on what we have taught you by what we have said and by what we have written.
16 Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loves us. Through His loving-favor He gives us comfort and hope that lasts forever. 17 May He give your hearts comfort and strength to say and do every good thing.
Christian Brothers, Pray for Us
3 My last words to you, Christian brothers, are that you pray for us. Pray that the Word of the Lord will go out over all the land and prove its power just as it did with you. 2 Pray that we will be kept from sinful men, because not all men are Christians. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and keep you safe from the devil. 4 We have faith in the Lord for you. We believe you are doing and will keep on doing the things we told you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into the love of God. May He help you as you wait for Christ.
6 Now this is what we tell you to do, Christian brothers. In the name of the Lord Jesus, keep away from any Christian who is lazy and who does not do what we taught you. 7 You know you should follow the way of life we lived when we were with you. We worked hard while we were there. 8 We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. We worked hard night and day so none of you would have to give us anything. 9 We could have asked you to give us food. But we did not so that you might follow our way of living. 10 When we were with you, we told you that if a man does not work, he should not eat. 11 We hear that some are not working. But they are spending their time trying to see what others are doing. 12 Our words to such people are that they should be quiet and go to work. They should eat their own food. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we say this. 13 But you, Christian brothers, do not get tired of doing good. 14 If anyone does not want to listen to what we say in this letter, remember who he is and stay away from him. In that way, he will be put to shame. 15 Do not think of him as one who hates you. But talk to him as a Christian brother.
16 May the Lord of peace give you His peace at all times. The Lord be with you all. 17 I, Paul, write this last part with my own hand. It is the way I finish all my letters. 18 May all of you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1-3
New International Version
2 Thessalonians 1-3
New International Version
1 Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)
To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(D)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We ought always to thank God for you,(E) brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.(F) 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast(G) about your perseverance and faith(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.(I)
5 All this is evidence(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just:(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you(M) 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(N) in blazing fire(O) with his powerful angels.(P) 8 He will punish(Q) those who do not know God(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(S) 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord(U) and from the glory of his might(V) 10 on the day(W) he comes to be glorified(X) 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.(Y)
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,(Z) that our God may make you worthy(AA) of his calling,(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.(AD) 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(AF) and our being gathered to him,(AG) we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter(AH)—asserting that the day of the Lord(AI) has already come.(AJ) 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you(AK) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion(AL) occurs and the man of lawlessness[d] is revealed,(AM) the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(AN) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(AO)
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(AP) 6 And now you know what is holding him back,(AQ) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back(AR) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,(AS) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(AT) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(AU) 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(AV) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(AW) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(AX) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(AY) 11 For this reason God sends them(AZ) a powerful delusion(BA) so that they will believe the lie(BB) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(BC)
Stand Firm
13 But we ought always to thank God for you,(BD) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[e](BE) to be saved(BF) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit(BG) and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you(BH) to this through our gospel,(BI) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm(BJ) and hold fast to the teachings[f] we passed on to you,(BK) whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,(BL) who loved us(BM) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage(BN) your hearts and strengthen(BO) you in every good deed and word.
Request for Prayer
3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(BP) pray for us(BQ) that the message of the Lord(BR) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.(BS) 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,(BT) for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful,(BU) and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.(BV) 4 We have confidence(BW) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts(BX) into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Warning Against Idleness
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(BY) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(BZ) every believer who is idle and disruptive(CA) and does not live according to the teaching[g] you received from us.(CB) 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(CC) We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(CD) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(CE) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(CF) 10 For even when we were with you,(CG) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(CH) shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(CI) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(CJ) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(CK) 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.(CL)
14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them,(CM) in order that they may feel ashamed.(CN) 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.(CO)
Final Greetings
16 Now may the Lord of peace(CP) himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(CQ)
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,(CR) which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.(CS)
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
- 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 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.