2 Thessalonians 2

1 But we ask you, brothers, concerning the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ and of our gathering to him,

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being gathered to meet him, we beg you, friends,

2 that you not be readily disturbed or terrified in your minds, by any spirit, or word, or epistle, supposedly sent from us, claiming that the day of the Lord is close by.

not lightly to let your minds become unsettled or disturbed by any revelation, or by any message or letter purporting to come from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is come.

3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For this cannot be, unless the apostasy will have arrived first, and the man of sin will have been revealed, the son of perdition,

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For it will not come before the final rebellion against God, when lawlessness is revealed in human form, headed for destruction.

4 who is an adversary to, and who is lifted up above, all that is called God or that is worshipped, so much so that he sits in the temple of God, presenting himself as if he were God.

He is the adversary of everything that is spoken of as a god or as an object of worship, enthroning himself in God’s Temple claiming to be God!

5 Do you not recall that, when I was still with you, I told you these things?

Don’t you remember how, when I was with you, I used to speak to you of all this?

6 And now you know what it is that holds him back, so that he may be revealed in his own time.

And you know now what the restraining influence is which prevents his appearing before his appointed time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity is already at work. And only one now holds back, and will continue to hold back, until he is taken from our midst.

Wickedness, indeed, is already at work in secret, but only until he who at present restrains it is removed out of the way.

8 And then that iniquitous one shall be revealed, the one whom the Lord Jesus shall bring to ruin with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy at the brightness of his return:

Then the lawless person will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth, annihilate him by the splendor of his coming.

9 him whose advent is accompanied by the works of Satan, with every kind of power and signs and false miracles,

When the lawless person comes, there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude –

10 and with every seduction of iniquity, toward those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth, so that they may be saved.

to the ruin of those who are on the path to destruction, because they have never received and loved the truth to their own salvation.

11 For this reason, God will send to them works of deception, so that they may believe in lies,

That is why God places them under the influence of a delusion, to cause them to believe a lie;

12 in order that all those who have not believed in the truth, but who have consented to iniquity, may be judged.

so that sentence may be passed on all those who refuse to believe the truth, but delight in wickedness.

13 Yet we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved of God, because God has chosen you as first-fruits for salvation, by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.

But, friends, whom the Lord loves, it is our duty always to thank God about you, for, from the first, God chose you for salvation through the purifying influence of the Spirit, and your belief in the truth.

14 He has also called you into truth through our Gospel, unto the acquisition of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To this you were called by the good news which we brought you, to attain to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 And so, brothers, stand firm, and hold to the traditions that you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.

Stand firm then, friends, and hold fast to the truths that we taught you, whether by word or by letter.

16 So may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and who has given us an everlasting consolation and good hope in grace, (aiōnios g166)

And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and, in his loving kindness, gave us unfailing consolation and good ground for hope, (aiōnios g166)

17 exhort your hearts and confirm you in every good word and deed.

console your hearts, and strengthen you to do and to say all that is right.