2 Thessalonians 3
New King James Version
Pray for Us
3 Finally, brethren, (A)pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and (B)that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; (C)for not all have faith.
3 But (D)the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and (E)guard you from the evil one. 4 And (F)we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.
5 Now may (G)the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (H)that you withdraw (I)from every brother who walks (J)disorderly and not according to the tradition which [a]he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread [b]free of charge, but worked with (K)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have (L)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are (M)busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and [c]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ (N)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
13 But as for you, brethren, (O)do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this [d]epistle, note that person and (P)do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 (Q)Yet do not count him as an enemy, (R)but [e]admonish him as a brother.
Benediction
16 Now may (S)the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 (T)The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every [f]epistle; so I write.
18 (U)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 NU, M they
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8 Lit. for nothing
- 2 Thessalonians 3:12 encourage
- 2 Thessalonians 3:14 letter
- 2 Thessalonians 3:15 warn
- 2 Thessalonians 3:17 letter
2 Thessalonians 3
New Matthew Bible
He asks them to pray for him, that the gospel may prosper. He warns them to reprove the idle, and if they will not labour with their hands, they should not eat.
3 Furthermore, brethren, pray for us, that the word of God may have free passage and be glorified, as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men. For all do not have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and keep you from evil. 4 We have confidence through the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do that which we instruct you. 5 And may the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and patience of Christ.
6 We require you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother who is disorderly, not walking according to the teaching which you received from us. 7 You yourselves know how you ought to follow us. For we were not disorderly amongst you. 8 Neither did we take bread from anyone for nothing, but worked with labour and travail night and day, because we did not wish to be burdensome to any of you – 9 not that we had no right, but to make ourselves an example for you, to follow us. 10 For when we were with you, this we warned you of: that if there were any who would not work, the same should not eat.
11 We have heard that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly way, and do not work at all, but are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ to work with quietness and eat their own bread.
13 Brethren, do not be weary of well-doing. 14 If any man does not heed what we say, send us word of him by a letter; and keep no company with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 And count him not as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
16 May the very Lord of peace give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand. This is the distinguishing mark in all epistles – thus I write.
18 May the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ
be with you
all.
Amen.
Sent from Athens.
2 Thessalonians 3
New Testament for Everyone
Requests for prayer
3 Finally, my dear family, pray for us, that the word of the Lord will go forward quickly and be glorified, as it has among you; 2 and that we may be rescued from evil and wicked people. Not all, you see, have faith! 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
4 We are confident in the Lord about you, that you are doing, and will continue to do, what we instructed you. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts towards the love of God and the patience of the Messiah.
The dangers of idleness
6 Here is a command we have for you, my dear family, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Keep away from any member of the family who is stepping out of line, and not behaving according to the tradition that you received from us.
7 You yourselves know, after all, how you should copy us. We didn’t step out of line, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. We worked night and day, with labor and struggle, so as not to place a burden on any of you. 9 It wasn’t that we don’t have the right; it was so that we could give you an example, for you to copy us. 10 And, indeed, when we were with you, we gave you this command: those who won’t work shouldn’t eat!
11 You see, we hear that there are some among you who are stepping out of line, behaving in an unruly fashion, not being busy with real work, but just busybodies. 12 To people like that we give this commandment and exhortation in the Lord Jesus the Messiah: do your own work in peace, and eat your own bread. 13 As for you, my dear family, don’t get tired of doing what is right!
Final remarks
14 If anyone doesn’t obey our word in this letter, take note of them. Don’t have any dealings with such a person, so that they may be ashamed. 15 Don’t consider a person like this an enemy: rebuke them as a member of the family. 16 Now may the Lord of peace give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, am sending you this greeting in my own hand. This is the sign in each letter of mine; this is how I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with you all.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
