2 Thessalonians 3

1 As to the rest, pray, brothers, concerning us, that the word of the LORD may run and may be glorified, as also with you,

As for the other matters, [our] fellow believers, pray for us that more and more [people will] hear [PRS] our message [about our] Lord [Jesus]. Pray that they will believe this message, as you [have done].

2 and that we may be delivered from the unreasonable and evil men, for not all [are] of the faith;

Pray also for us that we will be rescued {that God will rescue us} from those very perverse/evil people [here] who [cause us to suffer. Pray like that] because [they and many others] refuse to believe [LIT] [this message].

3 but faithful is the LORD who will establish you, and will guard [you] from the evil [one];

[Remember that our] Lord [Jesus] is trustworthy! [So we are sure that] he will cause you to continue to be steadfast. [We are also sure that] he will protect you from [Satan], the evil one (OR, from evil).

4 and we now have confidence in the LORD, that which we command you both do and will do;

[Because of your close relationship with our] Lord [Jesus], we are confident that you are obeying what we have commanded you, and we are confident that you will obey what we are commanding [you in this letter].

5 and the LORD direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.

[We pray that our] Lord [Jesus] would enable you to continue [knowing] that God loves you. [We pray] also that Christ will cause you to continue [being] steadfast (OR, being steadfast as he [was steadfast]).

6 And we command you, brothers, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not after the tradition that you received from us,

[Our] fellow believers, we command you, with the authority [MTY] that our Lord Jesus Christ [has given to us], that you stop associating with every fellow believer who is lazy and refuses to work. That is, you must stay away from those who are not [conducting their lives] in the manner that we taught you.

7 for you have known how it is necessary to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;

[We tell you this] because you yourselves know that you should [behave] like we [behaved]. We (did not just sit [around] without working/were never lazy) [while we were living] among you.

8 nor did we eat bread of anyone for nothing, but in labor and in travail, working night and day, not to be chargeable to any of you;

Specifically, we did not eat anyone’s food if we did not pay [that person] for it. Instead, we worked very hard ([to support ourselves/to earn the money to buy what we needed]). We worked hard [DOU] during the day and during the night, in order that we would not have to depend on any of you [to supply what we needed].

9 not because we have no authority, but that we might give ourselves to you [as] a pattern, to imitate us;

We have always had the right [to depend on you for money, but instead we worked hard in order to make ourselves] examples for you, in order that you should behave like we behave.

10 for even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat,

Remember that when we were [there] with you, we kept commanding you that if any [fellow believer] refuses to work, [you should not give] him food to eat.

11 for we hear of some walking disorderly among you, working nothing, but being busybodies,

[We are commanding the same thing] again now, because someone has told us that some of you are lazy and not working at all, just interfering [with what other people are doing]!

12 and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that working with quietness, they may eat their own bread;

We command those fellow believers who are not working, and urge [them] by the authority [MTY] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they settle down and (support themselves by working/work to earn money to buy what they need).

13 and you, brothers, may you not be weary doing well,

Fellow believers! Do not ever get tired of doing what is right!

14 and if anyone does not obey our word through the letter, note this one, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,

If any [fellow believer refuses to work] and does not obey what I have written in this letter, ([publicly] identify that person/tell the congregation what that person is doing). Then do not associate with him, in order that he may become ashamed.

15 and do not count as an enemy, but admonish as a brother;

Do not think of him as though he was [your] enemy; instead, warn him as [you would warn your other] fellow believers.

16 and may the LORD of peace Himself always give to you peace in every way; the LORD [is] with you all!

[I pray that our] Lord [Jesus] himself, who [gives inner] peace [to his people], will give [inner] peace to you always (and in every situation/whatever happens). 2 Thessalonians 3:16b-18 I [pray that our] Lord [Jesus will continue to] help you all.

17 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is a sign in every letter; thus I write.

Now, having taken the pen from my scribe, I, Paul, am sending this greeting to you as I write this myself [SYN]. I do this in all my letters in order that you may know that it is truly I who have sent this letter. This is how I always end my letters.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [is] with you all! Amen.

I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly to you all.