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Warnings against Laziness

My dear friends, in the name of[a] the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you. You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could.

We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you. 10 We also gave you this rule: If you don't work, you don't eat. 11 Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody. 12 So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living. 13 Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right.

14 Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them. 15 Don't consider them your enemies. Instead, speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.

Final Prayer

16 I pray that the Lord, who gives peace, will always bless you with peace. May the Lord be with all of you.

17 I always sign my letters as I am now doing: PAUL.

18 I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to all of you.

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Footnotes

  1. 3.6 in the name of: Or “as a follower of.”

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