2 Thessalonians 3

Request for Prayer
3:1 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored 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 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 and the endurance of Christ.

Response to the Undisciplined
3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us. 3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked 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. 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, not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. 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. 3:13 But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing what is right. 3:14 But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed. 3:15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Conclusion
3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all. 3:17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is how I write in every letter. 3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Job 15

Eliphaz’s Second Speech
15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

15:2 “Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge,
or fill his belly with the east wind?

15:3 Does he argue with useless talk,
with words that have no value in them?

15:4 But you even break off piety,
and hinder meditation before God.

15:5 Your sin inspires your mouth;
you choose the language of the crafty.

15:6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;
your own lips testify against you.

15:7 “Were you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?

15:8 Do you listen in on God’s secret council?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

15:9 What do you know that we don’t know?
What do you understand that we don’t understand?

15:10 The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
men far older than your father.

15:11 Are God’s consolations too trivial for you;
or a word spoken in gentleness to you?

15:12 Why has your heart carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash,

15:13 when you turn your rage against God
and allow such words to escape from your mouth?

15:14 What is man that he should be pure,
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

15:15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,
if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,

15:16 how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt,
who drinks in evil like water!

15:17 “I will explain to you;
listen to me,
and what I have seen, I will declare,

15:18 what wise men declare,
hiding nothing,
from the tradition of their ancestors,

15:19 to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigner passed among them.

15:20 All his days the wicked man suffers torment,
throughout the number of the years
that are stored up for the tyrant.

15:21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;
in a time of peace marauders attack him.

15:22 He does not expect to escape from darkness;
he is marked for the sword;

15:23 he wanders about – food for vultures;
he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.

15:24 Distress and anguish terrify him;
they prevail against him
like a king ready to launch an attack,

15:25 for he stretches out his hand against God,
and vaunts himself against the Almighty,

15:26 defiantly charging against him
with a thick, strong shield!

15:27 Because he covered his face with fat,
and made his hips bulge with fat,

15:28 he lived in ruined towns
and in houses where no one lives,
where they are ready to crumble into heaps.

15:29 He will not grow rich,
and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions spread over the land.

15:30 He will not escape the darkness;
a flame will wither his shoots
and he will depart
by the breath of God’s mouth.

15:31 Let him not trust in what is worthless,
deceiving himself;
for worthlessness will be his reward.

15:32 Before his time he will be paid in full,
and his branches will not flourish.

15:33 Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall,
and like an olive tree
he will shed his blossoms.

15:34 For the company of the godless is barren,
and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes.

15:35 They conceive trouble and bring forth evil;
their belly prepares deception.”

Scripture quoted from The NET Bible®, New English Translation, Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C., reprinted with permission from Bible.org. For further study, see articles on Bible.org and the NETBible study environment at NETBible.org.

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