Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, | 1Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. |
2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. | 2Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. |
3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. | 3Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. |
4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. | 4He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. |
5Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you? | 5Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? |
6And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. | 6And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. |
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. | 7For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. |
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. | 8Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. |
9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, | 9This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. |
10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. | 10He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. |
11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, | 11So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. |
12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. | 12Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. Believers Should Stand Firm |
13But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth. | 13As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. |
14To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. | 14He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
15Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. | 15With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. |
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope, | 16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, |
17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed. | 17comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. |
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