English Standard Version ESV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Finally, brothers,pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,
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Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.
2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.
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Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.
3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
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But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.
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And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.
5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
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May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
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And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you,
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For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.
8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
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We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.
9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
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We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
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Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
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Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
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We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
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As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
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Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.
15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
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Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.
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HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.