Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3* We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers, as is right and proper, that your faith is growing sturdily and the love of each one of you to the others is increasing, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith amid all your persecutions and the distresses you endure, 5 an exhibit of God’s just rulings so that you are to be deemed worthy of that same Kingdom of God for which you are suffering, 6 if just it is by God’s standard to repay distress to those who distress you, 7 and to you who are distressed relief with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power 8 in flaming fire to give punishment to those that do not know God and to those that do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus; 9 these shall pay the penalty, eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from the glory of his strength 10 when he comes to manifest his glory among his holy ones and to be venerated among all those who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed—on that day. 11 To this same end we are always praying for you that our God may deem you worthy to be called and may potently bring to full realization every impulse of goodwill and work of faith, 12* so that the name of our Lord Jesus may have its glory manifested in you, and you yours in it, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2* But we beg you, brothers, as to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, 2* not to shake right out of your senses nor be disquieted either by an inspiration or by an argument, or by a letter as being by us, with the idea that the Day of the Lord is upon us. 3* Do not let anybody deceive you in any way, because unless the apostasy comes first and the Man of Wickedness is disclosed, the man bound for destruction, 4* he who is in opposition to every so-called god or object of worship, so that he seats himself in God’s temple, declaring himself to be a god— 5 do you not remember that while I was still with you I told you all this? 6* and you know now what is holding him back to be disclosed at his own time. 7 For the Secret of Wickedness is already at work; only he who is now holding things back—until he gets out of the way, 8** and then the Wicked One will be disclosed, whom the Lord will consume by the breath of his mouth and will supersede by the intervention of his presence; 9 whose presence is as is proper for Satan’s working, in all power and tokens and wonders of untruth 10 and in all deceitfulness of wrong for those who are perishing, inasmuch as they did not accept the love of the truth so that they should be saved, 11 and for this reason God is sending them a working of delusion so that they shall believe the untrue, 12 that all may be judged who have not believed the truth but have been satisfied with wrong.

13* But we are bound to thank God always for you, brothers loved by the Lord, that God from the first chose you for salvation in sanctification of spirit and faith in truth, 14 to which same thing he called you through our gospel message, for preservation in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the propositions you were taught by either word or letter of ours. 16 And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and graciously gave us an eternal encouragement and a good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and fortify them in every good work and word.

3* For the rest, pray for us, brothers, that the word of the Lord may speed on and show its gloriousness the same as it does with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from criminal and vicious men; for it is not everybody that has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will fortify you and guard you from the Evil One. 4* And we trust to you in the Lord that what we are enjoining you to do you are also doing, and will do. 5 And may the Lord pilot your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s steadfastness.

6* But we enjoin you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you are to avoid every brother that takes to irregular courses, not in accordance with the instruction you had from us. 7 For you know yourselves how you have to imitate us, that we did not live irregularly among you, 8 nor get our board gratis from anybody, but toiling and moiling night and day at work, for the sake of not burdening any of you— 9 not that we do not have a right, but in order that we might give ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you we gave you this injunction, If one will not work let him not eat either.

11 For we hear of some among you living irregularly, not working at anything but frittering away their time; 12 but such we enjoin and exhort to work quietly and eat bread of their own. 13 But for yourselves, brothers, do not give up doing what is good. 14** And if anyone does not obey our words in this letter, note that man as a man not to be mixed up with, in order that he may be ashamed of himself; 15 and do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

16 And may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace all the time in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 Greeting in my own hand from me, Paul, which is a token in every letter; this is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

MARGINAL NOTES TO SECOND THESSALONIANS