2 Thessalonians

1

¹ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
³ We ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, even as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of each one of you all to one another is increasing,
⁴ So that we ourselves boast in you among the churches of God concerning your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions which you bear,
⁵ A plain indication of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer;
⁶ Since it is just with God to repay with affliction those afflicting you,
⁷ And to you who are being afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, in flaming fire,
⁸ Rendering vengeance to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁹ They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His strength
¹⁰ When He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.
¹¹ For which also we pray always concerning you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling and may fulfill in power your every good intention for goodness and your work of faith,
¹² So 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.

2

¹ Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
² That you be not quickly shaken in mind nor alarmed, neither by a spirit nor by word nor by a letter as if by us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
³ Let no one deceive you in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition,
⁴ Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or an object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, setting himself forth, saying that he is God.
⁵ Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I said these things to you?
⁶ And now you know that which restrains, so that he might be revealed in his own time.
⁷ For it is the mystery of lawlessness that is now operating, but only until the one now restraining goes out of the way.
⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed (whom the Lord Jesus will slay by the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of His coming),
⁹ The coming of whom is according to Satan’s operation in all power and signs and wonders of a lie
¹⁰ And in all deceit of unrighteousness among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.
¹¹ And because of this God sends to them an operation of error that they might believe the lie,
¹² So that all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness might be judged.
¹³ But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,
¹⁴ To which also He called you through our gospel unto the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the things which were handed down to you and which you were taught, whether by word or by our letter.
¹⁶ Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope in grace,
¹⁷ Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

3

¹ Finally, brothers, pray concerning us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as it is also with you;
² And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men, for the faith does not belong to all.
³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you that what we charge, you both are doing and will do.
⁵ And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ.
⁶ Now we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the things which were handed down to you and which you received from us.
⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you;
⁸ Nor did we eat bread as a gift from anyone, but in labor and hardship we worked night and day so that we would not be burdensome to any of you;
⁹ Not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves to you as a pattern that you might imitate us.
¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this charge, that if anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat.
¹¹ For we hear of some walking among you disorderly, doing no work at all, but being busybodies.
¹² Now such ones we charge and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work with quietness and eat their own bread.
¹³ But you, brothers, do not lose heart in doing good.
¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word through this letter, mark this one so as not to mingle with him, in order that he may be ashamed.
¹⁵ Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
¹⁶ Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace continually in every way. The Lord be with you all.
¹⁷ The greeting in my own hand — Paul — which is the mark in every letter; so I write.
¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.