2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
The Message
6-9 Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don’t permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn’t be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.
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2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
New International Version
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(A) 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(B) 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,(C) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(D)
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