2 Thessalonians 3

Worldwide English (New Testament)

3 My brothers, please talk to God about us. Ask God that the Lord's message may reach many people quickly and that they may receive it gladly as you did.

² Ask God that we may be saved from bad people who do wrong things. Not everyone believes in Christ.

³ But the Lord can be trusted. He will make you strong. He will keep you safe from all that is wrong.

⁴ The Lord makes us feel sure about you. We are sure that you are doing, and will do, what we tell you to do.

⁵ May the Lord lead you to love God and be patient like Christ.

⁶ Now, my brothers, we tell you to do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have nothing to do with any lazy brother who is not living the way we taught you.

⁷ You yourselves know how you should be like us. We were not lazy when we were with you.

⁸ We did not eat anyone's food without paying for it. But we worked very hard day and night because we did not want to trouble any one of you.

⁹ We have the right to be helped. But we wanted to show you what you should do in this matter.

¹⁰ Even when we were with you, we told you this, `If any man will not work, do not let him eat.'

¹¹ We hear that some of you are lazy. You do not work, but you trouble other people.

¹² We say to such lazy people, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, `Do your work quietly. Earn your own food.'

¹³ My brothers, do not get tired of doing what is good.

¹⁴ If any one will not obey what we say in this letter, look at that man and remember him. Have nothing to do with him, so that he will be ashamed.

¹⁵ Do not treat him like an enemy. Tell him, as you would tell a brother, what he should do.

¹⁶ The Lord gives peace. May he give his peace to you at all times in every way. May the Lord be with you all.

¹⁷ I, Paul, write these words of greeting with my own hand. This is the sign in all my letters that I wrote them.

¹⁸ The loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.