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

⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁶ So I urge you to imitate me.

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

⁷ Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

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.

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

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

³² Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles^[a] or the church of God. ³³ I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 11 ¹ And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

¹⁴ Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.