⁷ For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.

An Exhortation to Proper Living

⁶ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers^[a] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received^[b] from us.

⁹ We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

11 ¹ And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

¹⁶ So I urge you to imitate me.

¹⁷ Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

⁷ And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

³ Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

¹² Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

¹⁰ You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.