We ought to thank God for you always, brothers, since it is proper, because your faith is growing so much and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing more and more.

Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly about you among the churches of God because of your steadfastness and faith amid all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.

The way you are faithfully enduring [such] suffering for the kingdom of God is clear evidence that God's judgment is right in [eventually] counting you worthy of it [i.e., of entering the eternal phase of the kingdom].

On that day Jesus will return to be honored by His saints [i.e., God's holy people] and to be marveled at [i.e., in reverence] by all those who had believed [in Him]. [This will happen] because you have believed our testimony to you [about Christ].

This is why we always pray for you also, so that our God will consider you worthy to be [i.e., to have been] called [into the kingdom] by Him, and will fulfill, by His power, every good purpose [or, "desire for goodness"] of yours and every act produced by [your] faith.

[We pray this] so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored by you, and that you will be honored by Him, according to the unearned favor of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

we request that you people do not become shaken up in your mind, nor alarmed, either by a spirit [i.e., by some prophetic prediction], or by a report, or by a letter supposedly from us, that the day of the Lord [i.e., when Jesus returns] has already come.

[for] he opposes [the true Gospel message] and exalts himself against everything that is called "God" or that which is worshiped. So, he sits in God's temple [i.e., the church ?] displaying himself as [though he were] God.

Do you not remember that I used to tell you these things when I was still with you?

[But] for now, there is something holding him back [i.e., holding back the man of lawlessness from emerging, See verses 3-4], and you people know what it is. [It is restraining him] so that he will not be revealed until his own [due] time.

And this is the reason that God sends them a strong delusion [to influence them]: It is so that they would believe the lie,

in order that all those who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in wrongdoing, would be condemned.

He called you [to this salvation] through our Gospel message, in order that you could obtain the splendor of our Lord Jesus Christ [in heaven].

Finally, brothers, pray for us, so that the Lord's message will spread quickly and be honored [by people], even as it was among you.

And [pray] that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, because not everyone has faith.

And we have confidence in [the fellowship of] the Lord concerning you, that you are doing, and will continue to do the things we command you.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name [i.e., by the authority] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you people stay away from every brother [or sister] who lives an idle life [See note on I Thess. 5:14], and not according to the [inspired] tradition which you received from us.

For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, refusing to work, but [instead] are just being busybodies.

Now we command and urge such people, in [the fellowship of] the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work quietly and earn their own living.

And if any person does not obey our instructions, [given] in this letter, you should take note of him so that you do not associate with him, in hope that he will become ashamed [of his conduct].