2 Thessalonians 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 About the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers, and our being gathered to him:	1 We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him,
2 please do not be too easily thrown into confusion or alarmed by any manifestation of the Spirit or anystatement or any letter claiming to come from us, suggesting that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.	2 not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
3 Never let anyone deceive you in any way. It cannot happen until the Great Revolt has taken place andthere has appeared the wicked One, the lost One,	3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition,
4 the Enemy, who raises himself above every so-cal ed God or object of worship to enthrone himself inGod's sanctuary and flaunts the claim that he is God.	4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god--
5 Surely you remember my tel ing you about this when I was with you?	5 do you not recall that while I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And you know, too, what is still holding him back from appearing before his appointed time.	6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his time.
7 The mystery of wickedness is already at work, but let him who is restraining it once be removed,	7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who restrains is to do so only for the present, until he is removed from the scene.
8 and the wicked One will appear openly. The Lord wil destroy him with the breath of his mouth and wilannihilate him with his glorious appearance at his coming.	8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord (Jesus) will kill with the breath of his mouth and render powerless by the manifestation of his coming,
9 But the coming of the wicked One wil be marked by Satan being at work in al kinds of counterfeitmiracles and signs and wonders,	9 the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty deed and in signs and wonders that lie,
10 and every wicked deception aimed at those who are on the way to destruction because they would notaccept the love of the truth and so be saved.	10 and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved.
11 And therefore God sends on them a power that deludes people so that they believe what is false,	11 Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that they may believe the lie,
12 and so that those who do not believe the truth and take their pleasure in wickedness may al becondemned.	12 that all who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing may be condemned.
13 But we must always thank God for you, brothers whom the Lord loves, because God chose you fromthe beginning to be saved by the Spirit who makes us holy and by faith in the truth.	13 But we ought to give thanks to God for you always, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in truth.
14 Through our gospel he called you to this so that you should claim as your own the glory of our LordJesus Christ.	14 To this end he has (also) called you through our gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or byletter.	15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through hisgrace, such ceaseless encouragement and such sure hope,	16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace,
17 encourage you and strengthen you in every good word and deed.	17 encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.