Greeting

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,

and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

Stand Firm

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Pray for Us

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.

Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.