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2 Thessalonians 3
Contemporary English Version
2 Thessalonians 3
Contemporary English Version
Pray for Us
3 Finally, our friends, please pray for us. This will help the message about the Lord to spread quickly, and others will respect it, just as you do. 2 Pray that we may be kept safe from worthless and evil people. After all, not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm. 4 He has made us sure that you are obeying what we taught you and that you will keep on obeying. 5 I pray that the Lord will guide you to be as loving as God and as patient as Christ.
Warnings against Laziness
6 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. 7 You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, 8 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.
9 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.
Footnotes
- 3.6 in the name of: Or “as a follower of.”
2 Thessalonians 3
English Standard Version
2 Thessalonians 3
English Standard Version
Pray for Us
3 Finally, brothers,[a] (A)pray for us, that (B)the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,[b] as happened among you, 2 and (C)that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For (D)not all have faith. 3 But (E)the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and (F)guard you against (G)the evil one.[c] 4 And (H)we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord (I)direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
6 Now we command you, brothers, (J)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (K)that you keep away from any (L)brother (M)who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know (N)how you ought to imitate us, because (O)we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but (P)with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was (Q)not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves (R)an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: (S)If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you (T)walk in idleness, not busy at work, but (U)busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.[d]
13 As for you, brothers, (V)do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and (W)have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 (X)Do not regard him as an enemy, but (Y)warn him as a brother.
Benediction
16 Now may (Z)the Lord of peace himself (AA)give you peace at all times in every way. (AB)The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write (AC)this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 (AD)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 6, 13
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Or glorified
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Or evil
- 2 Thessalonians 3:12 Greek to eat their own bread
2 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
2 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
Request for Prayer
3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(A) pray for us(B) that the message of the Lord(C) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.(D) 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,(E) for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful,(F) and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.(G) 4 We have confidence(H) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts(I) into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Warning Against Idleness
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(J) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(K) every believer who is idle and disruptive(L) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(M) 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(N) 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(O) 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,(P) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(Q) 10 For even when we were with you,(R) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(S) shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(T) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(U) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(V) 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.(W)
14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them,(X) in order that they may feel ashamed.(Y) 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.(Z)
Final Greetings
16 Now may the Lord of peace(AA) himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(AB)
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,(AC) which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.(AD)
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition
2 Thessalonians 3
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
2 Thessalonians 3
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Pray That The Word May Spread Quickly And That We May Be Protected From Evil People
3 Finally, brothers, be praying for us that the word of the Lord may run[a] and be glorified, just as also with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from out-of-place[b] and evil people. For faith[c] is not possessed by everyone. 3 But the Lord is faithful— Who will establish you, and protect you from the evil one[d]. 4 And we are confident in the Lord concerning you that the things which we are commanding, you also[e] are doing and will do. 5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of [f] God and into the endurance of [g] Christ.
Imitate Us, And Keep Away From Those Who Don’t
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you be keeping-away[h] from every brother walking disorderly[i] and not according to the tradition which they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought-to be imitating us. Because we were not disorderly among you, 8 nor did we eat bread as-a-gift[j] from anyone, but were working with labor and hardship by night and by day so-as not to be a burden-on any of you— 9 not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves as a pattern to you, so that you may be imitating us. 10 For even when we were with you, we commanded this to you— that “if anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat”. 11 For we are hearing of some among you walking disorderly, not working at all, but being-busybodies[k]. 12 Now to such ones we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ that while working with quietness, they eat their own bread. 13 But you, brothers, do not grow-weary while doing-good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word through this letter, be taking-note-of [l] this one— to not be associating-with him, in order that he may be ashamed. 15 And do not be regarding him as an enemy, but be admonishing him as a brother. 16 And may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace continually[m] in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 The greeting of Paul by my own hand, which is a sign in every letter— I write in this manner. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1 That is, run speedily ahead.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:2 Or, improper, unnatural, wrong.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:2 Or, the faith.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Or, from evil.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:4 Or, indeed.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:5 That is, for God; or, from God. Same next.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:5 That is, for God; or, from God. Same next.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or, standing aloof.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or, out of order, out of ranks, undisciplined.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8 Or, freely, without-payment.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:11 Lit, working-around, a play on words. That is, puttering around, meddling.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:14 Or, marking.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Or, through all things.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT) 
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing