1 N ow we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We will be gathered together to meet Him. But we ask you, Christian brothers,

2 T hat ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

do not be troubled in mind or worried by the talk you hear. Some say that the Lord has already come. People may say that I wrote this in a letter or that a spirit told them.

3 L et no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Do not let anyone fool you. For the Lord will not come again until many people turn away from God. Then the leader of those who break the law will come. He is the man of sin.

4 W ho opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

He works against and puts himself above every kind of god that is worshiped. He will take his seat in the house of God and say that he himself is God.

5 R emember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Do you not remember that while I was with you, I told you this?

6 A nd now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

You know the power that is keeping the man of sin back now. The man of sin will come only when his time is ready.

7 F or the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

For the secret power of breaking the law is already at work in the world. But that secret power can only do so much until the One Who keeps back the man of sin is taken out of the way.

8 A nd then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Then this man of sin will come. The Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth. The coming of Christ will put an end to him.

9 E ven him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Satan will use this man of sin. He will have Satan’s power. He will do strange things and many powerful works that will be false.

10 A nd with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Those who are lost in sin will be fooled by the things he can do. They are lost in sin because they did not love the truth that would save them.

11 A nd for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

For this reason, God will allow them to follow false teaching so they will believe a lie.

12 T hat they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

They will all be guilty as they stand before God because they wanted to do what was wrong. You Belong to Those Who Believe the Truth

13 B ut we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Christian brothers, the Lord loves you. We always thank God for you. It is because God has chosen you from the beginning to save you from the punishment of sin. He chose to make you holy by the Holy Spirit and to give you faith to believe the truth.

14 W hereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It was by our preaching the Good News that you were chosen. He chose you to share the shining-greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 T herefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

So then, Christian brothers, keep a strong hold on what we have taught you by what we have said and by what we have written.

16 N ow our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loves us. Through His loving-favor He gives us comfort and hope that lasts forever.

17 C omfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

May He give your hearts comfort and strength to say and do every good thing.