< 2 Thessalonians 3 >
1 Finally, brothers, pray on for me, that God’s word may run swiftly, and be glorified as in your own case,
2 and that I may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for all do not hold the faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful; he will stablish you and guard you from the Evil One.
4 Now we have fully fixed our faith on you in the Lord, that you are doing and will continue to do what we enjoin.
5 May the Lord incline your hearts to the love of God and to the stedfastness of Christ.
6 I summon you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who leads an idle and disorderly life, which is not according to the rule you received from me.
7 For you know well how you must imitate me. For I did not lead an idle or disorderly life among you;
8 I did not eat my food as a gift from any man, but in toil and travail, night and day, I worked, so that I might not be a burden to any of you.
9 Not that I have no right to such support; it was simply to give you an example for you to imitate.
10 For indeed when I was with you, I used to charge you, "If any man will not work, he shall not eat."
11 But I hear that there are those of your number who are leading idle and disorderly lives, who are not busy, but mere busybodies.
12 Now all such I command and entreat, by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, to work in quietness. and to earn their own living.
13 But you, brothers, must not grow weary in well-doing.
14 If any man does not give heed to what I have said in this letter, mark that man; do not associate with him, so as to make him feel ashamed;
15 and yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16 And may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting, which is my token in every letter. Thus I write -
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.