Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, that believe in God our father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

so that we are always boasting of you among the churches of God for your patient endurance and faith, in spite of your persecutions and crushing sorrows which you are enduring.

This is a positive proof of the righteous judgment of God [a sign of His fair verdict], so that you will be considered worthy of His kingdom, for which indeed you are suffering.

If, at least, it is a, righteous thing with God, to recompense, affliction, unto them that afflict you,

And, unto you that are afflicted, release, with us, - by the revealing of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with his messengers of power,

in a flame of fire, who will take vengeance on those who do not know God, that is, those who will not listen to the good news of our Lord Jesus.

these shall suffer punishment in that day, even eternal destruction, far from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,

when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you.

With this in view we are always praying for you too, that our God may make you worthy of His call, and by His power fully satisfy your every desire for goodness, and complete every activity of your faith,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you through union with Him, in accordance with the favor of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we conjure you, brethren, that with respect to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being assembled with him,

not to let your minds be easily unsettled or even be excited, whether by some message by the Spirit or by some saying or letter that is claimed as coming from me, saying that the day of the Lord is already here.

Do not let anybody at all deceive you about this, because that cannot take place until the great revolt occurs and the representative of lawlessness is uncovered, the one who is doomed to destruction,

the one who keeps up his opposition and so far exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, that he actually takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Do you not remember that while I was with you I used to tell you this?

So now you know the power that is holding him back, that he is to be unveiled at His own appointed time.

For, the secret, of lawlessness, already, is inwardly working itself, - only, until, he that restraineth at present, shall be gone, out of the midst:

And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming;

that is, the representative of lawlessness, whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with his plenitude of power and pretended signs and wonders,

And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation.

For this reason God is sending on them an energy of delusion, that they should put faith in a falsehood;

so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have chosen unrighteousness instead might be condemned.

But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:

and to this end He called you by our preaching of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that ye were taught, whether by word or by letter from us.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and graciously given us encouragement that is eternal, and a hope that is well-founded,

encourage you and strengthen you to do and say everything that is right.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the message of the Lord may continue to spread and prove its glorious power as it did among you,

and that we may be delivered from unprincipled and wicked men; for not all men have faith.

We have confidence in you through the Lord that you are now practicing the directions which we give you and that you will continue to do so.

Howbeit, we charge you, brethren, - that, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, ye be withdrawing yourselves from every brother - who, in a disorderly way, doth walk, and not according to the instruction which ye received from us.

For, ye yourselves, know, how needful it is to be imitating us, in that we were not disorderly among you,

I did not eat my food as a gift from any man, but in toil and travail, night and day, I worked, so that I might not be a burden to any of you.

Not that I have no right to be supported, but to make myself an example for you to follow.

For even when we were with you we commanded you this, that if any man will not work, neither let him eat.

But we are informed that some among you are living as shirkers, mere busybodies, instead of busy at work.

Now to such men we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that, working with quietness, they should eat their own bread.

If anyone refuses to obey what we have said in this letter, mark that person and stop having anything to do with him, so that he will feel ashamed of it.

I, Paul, write you this final greeting with my own hand. This is the distinguishing mark in every letter [of mine, that shows it is genuine]. It is the way I write [my handwriting and signature].