2 Thessalonians 3
1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even 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 unreasonable and evil people; for not all have 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 the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and 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 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.
[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 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of 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 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who lives an undisciplined life, and not after the tradition which they 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 know how you ought to imitate us. For we were not undisciplined 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 neither did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden 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 do not have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should 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, we commanded you this: "If anyone will not 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 that some among you are living an undisciplined life, who do not work at all, but are 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 Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and 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 But you, brothers, do not be weary in doing well.
Fellow believers! Do not ever get tired of doing what is right!
14 If anyone does not obey our word in this letter, note that person, that you have no company with him, to the end 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 Do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him 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 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be 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 greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how 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 be with you all.
I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly to you all.
