| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Finally, 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. | 1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you. |
| 2Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. | 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith. |
| 3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. | 3But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. |
| 4And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. | 4And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. |
| 5May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. An Exhortation to Proper Living | 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. |
| 6And 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. | 6Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us. |
| 7For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. | 7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you, |
| 8We 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. | 8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. |
| 9We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. | 9Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. |
| 10Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” | 10For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” |
| 11Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. | 11Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies. |
| 12We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. | 12We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living. |
| 13As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. | 13But as for you, brothers, do not grow weary in well-doing. |
| 14Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. | 14Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions we have given in this letter. Do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. |
| 15Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. Paul’s Final Greetings | 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. |
| 16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. | 16Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. |
| 17 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me. | 17This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write. |
| 18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. | 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. |
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