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¹ PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN THESSALONICAa. Greeting From Paul, Silvanus,b and Timothy, to the community of the Thessalonians,c who are in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

² Grace and peace to you, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

³ A Prayer of Thanks and a Promise of Rescue from Persecution We owe thanks to God for you all the time, brothers and sisters-which is exactly appropriate. Because your faith is really growing! And the love that all of you have for each other is increasing!

⁴ It’s to the point thatd we’re bragging about you ourselves, in all the communities of God. We tell them about your endurance and faith, amidst all the persecutions and distresse that you’re going through.

⁵ Your faithful endurance is proof of God’s just judgment, and it’s making you truly worthy of God’s Reign. That’s what you’re suffering for.

⁶ And it’s only fairf for God to pay back distress to those who are distressing you,

⁷ and to give relief to you and to us, the ones who are being distressed. Our relief is going to come at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels.g

⁸ In flaming fire, he’s going to deal out retribution to those who don’t know God,h who don’t respond toi the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹ They’re the ones who’re going to experience the sentence of eternal destruction when he comes. They’ll flee “from the presence of the Lord and from his powerful glory,”j

¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified with his holy ones. And he’ll be looked on with wonder by all the believers on that day-because in your case, our testimony was believed.

¹¹ And that’s what we’re praying for all the time about you: that God will make you worthy of the calling that we all have. And that God will fill all your desire for goodness, and your faithful activity, with power.

¹² That way, the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you-and you’ll be glorified in him-by the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.k

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¹ The Rebellion and the “Lawless One” Have to Come First Now, let’s talk about our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming,a and about our gathering to meet him.b We ask you, brothers and sisters,

² not to suddenly lose your headc or panic over anything you hear. It may be something said through the Spirit, or a teaching, or a letter that‘s supposedly from us, that says something like “The Day of the Lord has arrived”.

³ Don’t let anybody trick you in any way. Because the rebellion has to come first, and the Lawless Oned is going to be revealed. He’s the one who’s destined for destruction.e

⁴ He is against, and he puts himself above, everything that’s called “God”f or is worshiped. He finally sits in God’s temple, publicly presenting himself as being God.g

⁵ Don’t you remember that we used to tell you all this when we were with you?

⁶ And you know what’s now holding him back-so that he can be revealed in his own time.

⁷ Because the secret of lawlessness is already at work. It’s just that someone’s holding him back-until he gets out of the way.h

⁸ And then the Lawless One is going to be revealed. He’s the one that the Lord Jesus “is going to wipe out with the breath from his lips”.i Jesus is going to do awayj with him by his appearance when he comes.

⁹ This guy’s coming is in line with the operation of Satan. It’ll be with all kinds of power, and false miraclesk and wonders.

¹⁰ And there’ll be all kinds of dishonest trickery. It’ll be aimed at those who are ruined,l because they haven’t accepted the love of the truth that would’ve resulted in their salvation.m

¹¹ And because of that, God sends them a process of deception, so that they believe the lie.

¹² That way, everybody that doesn’t believe in the truth, but prefers what’s wrong, will be judged.

¹³ Stand Firm! But we have to thank God all the time for you, brothers and sisters. You’re dear to the Lord!n Because God chose you for salvation as a first offering of the harvest-through the Spirit’s work of making you holy,o and through your belief in the truth.

¹⁴ This is what God has called you to, through the good news that we preach.p You’re called to have the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So now, brothers and sisters, stand firm. And hold onto the traditions that you’ve been taught by us-whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, encourage and strengthen your hearts in every kind of good action and speech. Because God loves us, and has given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace.

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¹ Request for Prayer Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the message about the Lorda will make rapid progress and be honored,b just like it was with you.

² And pray that we’ll be saved from off-base and evil people-because not everybody has faith.

³ But the Lord is faithful. He’s going to strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.c

⁴ And we’re convinced about you in the Lord, that you’re doing, and are going to do, the things that we’re instructing you to do.

⁵ And may the Lord lead your hearts into God’s love, and into the ability to hold out for Christ.

⁶ People Have a Responsibility to Work Now, we have an instruction for you, brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: keep away from every brother or sister that lives in an undisciplined way, and not in line with the tradition that theyd received from us.

⁷ After all, you know thate you’re supposed to imitate us-and we weren’t undisciplined around you.

⁸ And we didn’t eat anybody’s food for free. Just the opposite-we worked with sweatf and hard labor night and day, so we wouldn’t be a burden to any of you.

⁹ It’s not that we don’t have that authority. Far from it-it was to offer ourselves as an example for you to follow.g

¹⁰ Because when we were with you, we gave this instruction: if somebody doesn’t want to work, they shouldn’t eat either.

¹¹ Because we’re hearing that some of you are living in an undisciplined way. They’re not doing any work, and minding other people’s business instead.

¹² Well, in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re instructing and urging people like that to work quietly and eat their own food.h

¹³ But you, brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged in your good work.

¹⁴ But if somebody doesn’t listen to our instructions in this letter, take note of that person. Don’t associate with them, so they’ll be ashamed.

¹⁵ But don’t consider them an enemy. Just the opposite-warn them as a brother or sister.

¹⁶ Final Greetings Now, may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace always and in every way.

¹⁷ This hello is in my own handwriting-Paul. It’s the sign of authenticity in every letter I write. This is how I write.

¹⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!i