1•1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

•2Grace to †you and peace from God our¹ Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

•3We are obligated to keep thanking God always for †you, brothers, as is fitting, because †your faith is growing so much, and the love of each one of †you all for one another is increasing. •4Therefore we ourselves boast of †you in the churches of God for †your endurance and faith in all †your persecutions and [in] the afflictions which †you put up with.

•5[This is] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that †you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed †you are suffering—•6since [it is] a righteous thing with God [for him] to repay with affliction those who afflict †you, •7and [to grant] rest with us to †you who are afflicted, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in flaming fire, •8taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. •9They shall pay the penalty of eternal destruction, [separated] from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, •10whenever 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. •11Also to this [end] we always pray for †you, that our God may make †you worthy of [his] call, and may fulfill every desire² for goodness 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.

2•1Now we request of †you, brothers, in regard to the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, •2for †you not to be quickly shaken in mind nor alarmed, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter supposedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord¹ has come. •3Do not let anyone deceive †you in any way; because [that day will not come], unless the apostasy

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comes first, and the man of lawlessness² is revealed, the son of destruction, •4who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat³ in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. •5Do †you not remember that when I was still with †you I used to tell †you these things? •6And now †you know what is restraining him in order for him to be revealed in his [proper] time. •7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [there is] one who is restraining [it] right now until he is out of the way. •8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus⁴ will kill⁵ with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the appearance of his arrival. •9The arrival of the lawless one⁶ is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and wonders [that tell] a lie, •10and with all unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. •11And because of this God sends⁷ them a working of error in order that they might believe the lie, •12so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

•13But we are obligated to keep thanking God always for †you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God picked †you [as] firstfruits⁸ for salvation, by sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth. •14To this also he called †you through our gospel, in order that †you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. •15So then, brothers, keep standing [firm] and holding to the traditions which †you were taught, either through word [of mouth] or through a letter from us.

•16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave [us] eternal comfort and good hope by means of grace, •17comfort †your hearts and strengthen [them] in every good work and word.

3•1Finally, brothers, keep praying for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, as indeed [was the case] with †you, •2and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil

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men; for not all [have] faith. •3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen †you and guard [†you] from the evil one.¹ •4And we have confidence in the Lord regarding [†you], that †you both are doing and will do the things which we command. •5And may the Lord guide †your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

•6Now we command †you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that †you keep away from every brother who is walking disorderly² and not in accord with the tradition that they³ received from us. •7For †you †yourselves know how it is necessary to keep imitating us, because we did not act disorderly⁴ among †you, •8nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying, but with labor and exertion we worked night and day, in order that we might not burden any of †you. •9[It was] not because we do not have [that] right, but to give †you an example of ourselves, in order that †you might imitate us. •10For even when we were with †you, we used to give †you this command, that if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat either. •11For we hear that some among †you are walking disorderly,² not working at anything, but working as busibodies. •12Now such [persons] we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their [own] bread. •13And †you, brothers, do not grow weary in well-doing. •14And if anyone does not obey our word through [this] letter, note that [person], and quit associating with him, so that he may be ashamed. •15And [yet] do not consider [him] as an enemy, but keep admonishing [him] as a brother.

•16Now may the Lord of peace himself give †you peace at all times in every way.⁵ The Lord [be] with †you all.

•17[I], Paul, [write this] greeting with my [own] hand. This is the sign in every letter [of mine]; I write like this. •18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with †you all.⁶