THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
Greeting
1 Paul, 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.
God’s Final Judgment and Glory
3 We are obligated to give thanks to God always for you, brothers, and
rightfully so, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of
every one of you all increases towards one another,
4 so that we
ourselves are boasting in you among the churches of God about your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you
endure, 5 which is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, so that
you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, on behalf of which you
also suffer.
6 Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
affliction those who afflict you,
7 and to give you who are being
afflicted rest along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from
heaven with His mighty angels,
8 in flaming fire, inflicting
vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 These shall pay a
penalty—eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of His might,
10 whenever He comes, in that Day, to be
glorified among His saints and to be marveled among all those who have
believed, because our testimony among you was believed.
11 Therefore we also pray always concerning you that our God may count
you worthy of this calling, and may fulfill all the good pleasure of
His goodness and the work of faith with power,
12 in order that the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
2 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2
The Great Falling Away and the Man of Sin
1 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
gathering together to Him, we beseech you,
2 not to be quickly shaken
from your mind, nor be disturbed, neither by spirit nor by word nor by
letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ has come. 3
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless
the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is unveiled, the son
of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called
God, or every object of worship, so that he sits as God in the temple
of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling
you these things?
6 And now you know that which is restraining, that he
may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is
already at work; only He who now restrains will continue until one
arises from out of the midst.
8 And then the lawless one will be
unveiled, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and
will destroy by the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one
is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and
lying wonders,
10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness among those
who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that
they might be saved.
11 And because of this, God will send them a
strong delusion, in order for them to believe the lie,
12 so that they
all might be damned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in
unrighteousness.
Stand Firm
13 But we are obligated to give thanks to God always for you, brothers
beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for
salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the
truth,
14 to which He called you through our gospel, for the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers, stand fast
and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or
our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and
Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and a good hope by
grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and
work.
2 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 3
Pray for Us
1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and
be glorified, just as it is with you,
2 and that we may be delivered
from evil and wicked men; for not all have faith.
3 But the Lord is
faithful, who will establish you and will guard you from the evil one.
4 And we trust in the Lord concerning you, that the things which we
command to you, you are both doing, and will do them. 5 Now may the
Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of
Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
6 But we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you keep away from every brother living in idleness, and not
according to the tradition which they received from us.
7 For you
yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly
among you;
8 nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but in
labor and hardship, working night and day, so as not to be a burden to
any of you,
9 not because we do not have authority, but in order that
we may give ourselves as a pattern to you, so that you might follow
us.
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If
anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat!
11 For we hear that
some are walking among you in a disorderly way, not working at all, but
being busybodies.
12 And to such people we command and urge by
our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own
bread.
13 But as for you, brothers, do not lose heart in doing good.
14
Now if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take note of him,
and do not associate with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet do not
consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Benediction
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 The greeting of Paul by my own hand, which is a sign in every letter; so I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.