Beginning

Greetings

1 From:^[a] Paul, Silvanus,^[b] and Timothy.

To: The church of the Thessalonians in union with God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.^[c]

² May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[d] be yours!

Endurance in Affliction

³ Brothers, at all times we are obligated to thank God for you. It is right to do this^[e] because your faith is growing all the time and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. ⁴ As a result, we rejoice about you among God’s churches—about your endurance and faith through all the persecutions and afflictions you are experiencing. ⁵ This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment and is intended to make you worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you are suffering. ⁶ Certainly it is right for God to pay back those who afflict you with affliction, ⁷ and to give us who are afflicted relief when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who do not know God and on those who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ Such people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be regarded with wonder on that day by all who have believed—including you, because you believed our testimony.

¹¹ With this in mind, we always pray for you, asking^[f] that our God might make you worthy of his calling and that through his power he might help you accomplish every good desire and faithful action. ¹² That way the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus, the Messiah.^[g]

The Lawless One

2 Now we ask you, brothers, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[h] and our gathering together to him, ² not to be so quickly upset^[i] or alarmed when someone claims that we said,^[j] either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the Day of the Lord has already come. ³ Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the rebellion^[k] takes place first and the man of sin,^[l] who is destined for destruction,^[m] is revealed. ⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary^[n] of God and himself declares that he is God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you? ⁶ You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes. ⁷ For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way. ⁸ Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord^[o] will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one^[p] will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind^[q] of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, ¹⁰ and every type of evil to deceive^[r] those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.^{[s] 11} For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. ¹² Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.

¹³ At all times we are obligated to thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you to be the first fruits^[t] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through faith in the truth. ¹⁴ With this purpose in mind, he called you through our proclamation of the^[u] gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.^{[v] 15} So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth^[w] or by our letter. ¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus, the Messiah^[x] himself, and may God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort^[y] and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good action and word.

An Example to Follow

3 Finally, brothers, pray for us—that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly, and that it may be honored the way it is among you. ² Also pray^[z] that we may be rescued from worthless and evil people, since not everyone holds to the faith.^{[aa] 3} But the Lord is faithful and will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. ⁴ We have confidence in the Lord^[ab] that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of the Messiah.^[ac]

⁶ In the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[ad] we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is living in idleness^[ae] and not living^[af] according to the tradition that they received^[ag] from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know what you must do to imitate us. We never lived in idleness^[ah] among you. ⁸ We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, with toil and labor we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It is not as though we did not have that right, but we wanted^[ai] to give you an example to follow. ¹⁰ While we were with you, we gave this order: “If anyone doesn’t want to work, he shouldn’t eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some of you are living in idleness.^[aj] You are not busy working^[ak]—you are busy interfering^[al] in other people’s lives! ¹² We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[am] to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³ Brothers, do not get tired of doing what is right.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say^[an] in this letter, take note of him. Have nothing to do with him so that he will feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet, don’t treat him like an enemy, but warn^[ao] him like a brother. ¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace give you his peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.

Final Greeting

¹⁷ I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine. It is the way I write. ¹⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[ap] be with all of you. Amen.^[aq]