From: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. To: The church of the Thessalonians in union with God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unceasing thanks are due from us to God on your behalf, brethren. They are appropriate because your faith is growing greatly, and the love of every one of you for all the others goes on increasing.

Therefore, we speak of you with pride among the churches of God for your steadfastness [your unflinching endurance, and patience] and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecution and [crushing] distress which you endure.

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

With this in view, our constant prayer for you is that our God may count you worthy of the Call that you have received, and by his power make perfect your delight in all goodness and the efforts that have resulted from your faith.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of destruction,

And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only he who restrains it until now will develop from the midst.

For at the Coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude--

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

So then, brethren, stand firm, and hold fast the instructions which ye have been taught, whether by word or by our letter.

And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

nor have we eaten bread from any one without cost; but in toil and hardship working night and day not to be chargeable to any one of you:

This was not because we had not a claim upon you, but it arose from a desire to set you an example--for you to imitate us.

And to such we proclaim and beseech by our Lord Jesus Christ, that, with freedom from care working, they should eat their own bread.

But be not you, my brethren, discouraged from well-doing. And if any obey not our order,

And if any man does not give attention to what we have said in this letter, take note of that man, and keep away from him, so that he may be shamed.

May the Lord, from whom all peace comes, himself give you his peace at all times and in all ways. May he be with you all.

These words of love to you at the end are in my writing, Paul's writing, and this is the mark of every letter from me.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen. {The end of the Second Epistle unto the Thessalonians, Sent from Athens.}