3:1 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, 1 that the Lord’s message 2 may spread quickly and be honored 3 as in fact it was among you, 3:2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he 4 will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 3:4 And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing – and will do – what we are commanding. 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God 5 and the endurance of Christ. 6
3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, 7 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined 8 life 9 and not according to the tradition they 10 received from us. 3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline 11 among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. 12 Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked 13 night and day in order not to burden any of you. 3:9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. 14 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” 3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, 15 not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. 16 3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. 17