2 Thessalonians 3
1 As to the rest, pray ye, brethren, concerning us, that the word of the Lord may run and may be glorified, as also with you,
In conclusion, friends, pray for us – pray that the Lord’s message may spread rapidly, and be received everywhere with honour, as it was among you;
2 and that we may be delivered from the unreasonable and evil men, for the faith [is] not of all;
and that we may be preserved from wrong-headed and wicked people – for it is not everyone who believes in Christ.
3 and stedfast is the Lord, who shall establish you, and shall guard [you] from the evil;
But the Lord will not fail you. He will give you strength, and guard you from evil.
4 and we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that the things that we command you ye both do and will do;
Yes, and the confidence that our union with the Lord enables us to place in you leads us to believe that you are doing, and will do, what we direct you.
5 and the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.
May the Lord bring you to the love of God, and to the patience of the Christ.
6 And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother disorderly walking, and not after the deliverance that ye received from us,
We beg you, friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to avoid any follower who is living an ill-ordered life, which is not in agreement with the teaching that you received from us.
7 for yourselves have known how it behoveth [you] to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;
For you know well that you ought to follow our example. When we were with you, our life was not ill-ordered,
8 nor for nought did we eat bread of any one, but in labour and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of you;
nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it. Night and day, labouring and toiling, we used to work at our trades, so as not to be a burden on any of you.
9 not because we have not authority, but that ourselves a pattern we might give to you, to imitate us;
This was not because we had not a right to receive support, but our object was to give you a pattern for you to copy.
10 for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,
Indeed, when we were with you, the rule we laid down was – “Whoever does not choose to work will not get to eat.”
11 for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working,
We hear that there are among you people who are living ill-ordered lives, and who, instead of attending to their own business, are mere busybodies.
12 and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;
All such people we beg, and implore, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to attend quietly to their business, and earn their own living.
13 and ye, brethren, may ye not be weary doing well,
You, friends, must not grow weary of doing what is right.
14 and if any one do not obey our word through the letter, this one note ye, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,
If anyone disregards what we have said in this letter, take note of them and avoid their company, so that they may feel ashamed.
15 and as an enemy count [him] not, but admonish ye [him] as a brother;
Yet do not think of them as an enemy, but caution them as you would a brother or sister.
16 and may the Lord of the peace Himself give to you the peace always in every way; the Lord [is] with you all!
May the Lord, from whom all peace comes, himself give you his peace at all times and in all ways. May he be with you all.
17 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is a sign in every letter; thus I write;
I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting. It is my signature to every letter. This is how I write.
18 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [is] with you all! Amen.
May the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
