THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
Salutation
1Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy,
To the Church of the Thessalo'nians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
3We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4Therefore we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming
5This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering—6since indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by his power, 12so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Man of Lawlessness
2Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.* 3Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessnessa* is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? 6And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.* 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, 12so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Chosen for Salvation
13But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginningb to be saved through sanctification by the Spiritc and belief in the truth. 14To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Request for Prayer
3Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph, as it did among you, 2and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from evil.d 4And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things which we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Warning against Idleness
6Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. 9It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat. 11For we hear that some of you are walking in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living. 13Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing.
14If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Final Greetings and Benediction
16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
17I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.