Beginning

1 Paul^[a] and Silvanus^[b] and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We Thank God For Your Faith And Love, And Boast of Your Endurance Amidst Afflictions

³ We ought to be giving-thanks to God always for you, brothers, just as it is fitting, because your faith is growing-abundantly and the love of each one of you all toward one another is increasing, ⁴ so that we ourselves are boasting in you among the churches of God with reference to your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and afflictions which you are bearing-with—

These Are Evidence of God’s Righteous Judgment Concerning You And Those Afflicting You

⁵ ... which is evidence^[c] of the righteous judgment of ^[d] God that you will be^[e] considered-worthy of the kingdom of God for the sake of which you also^[f] are suffering, ⁶ since it will be a righteous thing with^[g] God to repay^[h] affliction to the ones afflicting you ⁷ and to give you, the ones being afflicted, rest^[i] along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with angels of ^[j] His power ⁸ in flaming fire, giving^[k] punishment^[l] to the ones not knowing God and^[m] the ones not obeying the good-news of our Lord Jesus— ⁹ who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from^[n] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of ^[o] His strength, ¹⁰ when He comes to be glorified in^[p] His saints and marveled-at ^[q] among^[r] all the ones having believed— because^[s] our testimony to you was believed— on that day,

We Pray For God To Fulfill Your Every Desire To Express Your Goodness And Faith

¹¹ ... for which^[t] also^[u] we are praying always for you in order that our God may consider you worthy of the calling, and may fulfill every desire^[v] of goodness^[w] and work of ^[x] faith with [His] power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according-to^[y] the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Don’t Be Alarmed: The Day of The Lord Has Not Yet Come

2 Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering-together to Him, ² that you not be quickly shaken from your understanding nor alarmed— neither by a spirit^[z], nor by a word, nor by a letter as-if through us, how that the day of the Lord is present^[aa]. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way, because it will not be present unless the apostasy^[ab] comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed^[ac]— the son of ^[ad] destruction, ⁴ the one opposing and exalting himself over^[ae] everything being called god or an object-of-worship^[af], so that he sits-down^[ag] in the temple^[ah] of God displaying^[ai] himself that he is god. ⁵ Do you not remember that while still being with you I was telling you these things? ⁶ And you know the thing restraining^[aj] now, so that he might be revealed in his own time.

For Lawlessness Is Being Restrained Right Now, But The Lawless One Will Come Later

⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at-work^[ak], only there is the one restraining right-now until he comes^[al] out of the midst^[am]. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and do-away-with^[an] by the appearance of His coming^[ao]— ⁹ whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of ^[ap] falsehood, ¹⁰ and with every deception of ^[aq] unrighteousness for the ones perishing because they did not receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason, God sends them a working of ^[ar] error^[as] so that they will believe the falsehood^[at], ¹² in order that all the ones not having believed in the truth but having taken-pleasure^[au] in unrighteousness may be condemned.

But God Chose You To Be The Firstfruits of Salvation. Stand Firm And Hold On To The Truth

¹³ But^[av] we ought to be giving-thanks to God always for you, brothers having been loved by the Lord, because God chose you to be the firstfruit^[aw] for salvation in^[ax] the holiness of ^[ay] the Spirit and faith^[az] in the truth— ¹⁴ to which also He called you through our good-news, for the obtaining^[ba] of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, be standing-firm, and be holding-on-to the traditions which you were taught— whether by word [of mouth] or by our letter. ¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, the One having loved us and having given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

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^[bb] and be glorified, just as also with you, ² and that we may be delivered from out-of-place^[bc] and evil people. For faith^[bd] is not possessed by everyone. ³ But the Lord is faithful— Who will establish you, and protect you from the evil one^[be]. ⁴ And we are confident in the Lord concerning you that the things which we are commanding, you also^[bf] are doing and will do. ⁵ And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of ^[bg] God and into the endurance of ^[bh] 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^[bi] from every brother walking disorderly^[bj] 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^[bk] 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^[bl]. 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 ^[bm] 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^[bn] 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.