Seconda lettera ai Tessalonicesi (מכתב שני לסלוניקים) 4

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 כֵּן יַחֲשָׁב־אִישׁ אֹתָנוּ כִּמְשָׁרְתֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְסֹכְנֵי רָזֵי אֵל	1 People should think of us as Christ's servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.
2 הִנֵּה סוֹף דָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא יְבֻקַּשׁ מִן־הַסֹּכְנִים כִּי אִם־לְהִמָּצֵא נֶאֱמָנִים	2 In such a matter, what is expected of stewards is that each one should be found trustworthy.
3 וַאֲנִי נְקַלָּה הִיא בְּעֵינַי אִם נָדוֹן אֲנִי עַל־יְדֵיכֶם אוֹ עַל־יְדֵי יוֹם־דִּין שֶׁל־בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם־אֲנִי אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לֹא אָדִין	3 It is of no importance to me how you or any other human court may judge me: I will not even be thejudge of my own self.
4 כִּי אֵינֶנִּי יוֹדֵעַ בְּנַפְשִׁי רָע וּבְכָל־זֹאת לֹא אֶצְדָּק כִּי הַדָּן אֹתִי הוּא יְהוָֹה	4 It is true that my conscience does not reproach me, but that is not enough to justify me: it is the Lordwho is my judge.
5 עַל־כֵּן אַל־תִּשְׁפְּטוּ שָׁפוֹט לִפְנֵי הָעֵת עַד כִּי־יָבוֹא הָאָדוֹן אֲשֶׁר גַּם־יוֹצִיא לָאוֹר אֶת־תַּעֲלֻמוֹת הַחשֶׁךְ וִיגַלֶּה אֶת־עֲצַת הַלְּבָבוֹת וְאָז תִּהְיֶה תְהִלָּה לְכָל־אִישׁ מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים	5 For that reason, do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes; he wil bring to lighteverything that is hidden in darkness and reveal the designs of al hearts. Then everyone wil receive from Godthe appropriate commendation.
6 וְאֶת־זֹאת אַחַי הֲסִבֹּתִי עַל־עַצְמִי וְעַל־אַפּוֹלוֹס בַּעֲבוּרְכֶם לְמַעַן תִּלְמְדוּ בָנוּ שֶׁלֹּא־יִתְחַכֵּם אִישׁ יוֹתֵר מִמַּה־שֶּׁכָּתוּב פֶּן־תִּתְגָּאוּ אִישׁ בְּשֵׁם אִישׁ לְנֶגֶד רֵעֵהוּ	6 I have applied al this to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that you can learn how the saying,'Nothing beyond what is written' is true of us: no individual among you must become fil ed with his ownimportance and make comparisons, to another's detriment.
7 כִּי מִי הִבְדִּיל אוֹתְךָ וּמֶה בְיָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִבַּלְתּוֹ וְאִם־קִבַּלְתּוֹ לָמָּה תִתְהַלֵּל כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִבֵּל	7 Who made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it was given to you,why are you boasting as though it were your own?
8 הֵן כְּבָר שְׂבַעְתֶּם כְּבָר עֲשַׁרְתֶּם וּבִלְעָדֵינוּ מְלַכְתֶּם וְלוּ מְלַכְתֶּם לְמַעַן נִמְלֹךְ אִתְּכֶם גַּם־אֲנָחְנוּ	8 You already have everything -- you are rich already -- you have come into your kingdom, without anyhelp from us! Wel , I wish you were kings and we could be kings with you!
9 כִּי אֶחֱשֹׁב שֶׁהָאֱלֹהִים הִצִּיג אֹתָנוּ הַשְּׁלִיחִים שִׁפְלֵי הַשְּׁפָלִים כִּבְנֵי־תְמוּתָה כִּי הָיִינוּ לְרַאֲוָה לָעוֹלָם גַּם־לַמַּלְאָכִים גַּם־לִבְנֵי אָדָם	9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on show right at the end, like men condemned todeath: we have been exhibited as a spectacle to the whole universe, both angelic and human.
10 אֲנַחְנוּ סְכָלִים לְמַעַן הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְאַתֶּם חֲכָמִים בַּמָּשִׁיחַ אֲנַחְנוּ חַלָּשִׁים וְאַתֶּם גִּבּוֹרִים אַתֶּם נִכְבָּדִים וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִקְלִים	10 Here we are, fools for Christ's sake, while you are the clever ones in Christ; we are weak, while youare strong; you are honoured, while we are disgraced.
11 וְעַד־הַשָּׁעָה הַזֹּאת הִנְנוּ רְעֵבִים גַּם־צְמֵאִים וַעֲרֻמִּים וּמֻכִּים בְּאֶגְרֹף וְאֵין מָנוֹחַ לָנוּ	11 To this day, we go short of food and drink and clothes, we are beaten up and we have no homes;
12 וִיגֵעִים אֲנַחְנוּ בַּעֲמַל יָדֵינוּ קִלְלוּנוּ וּנְבָרֵךְ חֵרְפוּנוּ וְנִסְבֹּל	12 we earn our living by labouring with our own hands; when we are cursed, we answer with a blessing;when we are hounded, we endure it passively;
13 גִּדְּפוּ אֹתָנוּ וְנִתְחַנָּן וַנְּהִי כְּגֶלְלֵי הָעוֹלָם וְלִסְחִי לְכֻלָּם עַד־עָתָּה	13 when we are insulted, we give a courteous answer. We are treated even now as the dregs of theworld, the very lowest scum.
14 וְלֹא לְבַיֵּשׁ אֶתְכֶם אֲנִי כֹתֵב הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי אִם־מַזְהִיר אֶתְכֶם כְּבָנַי הָאֲהוּבִים	14 I am writing al this not to make you ashamed but simply to remind you, as my dear children;
15 כִּי גַּם־אִם־הָיוּ לָכֶם רִבְבוֹת אֹמְנִים בַּמָּשִׁיחַ אֵין לָכֶם אָבוֹת רַבִּים כִּי אָנֹכִי הוֹלַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּיֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ עַל־יְדֵי הַבְּשׂוֹרָה	15 for even though you might have ten thousand slaves to look after you in Christ, you still have no morethan one father, and it was I who fathered you in Christ Jesus, by the gospel.
16 עַל־כֵּן אֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ מִכֶּם לָלֶכֶת בְּעִקְּבוֹתָי	16 That is why I urge you to take me as your pattern
17 וּבַעֲבוּר זֹאת שָׁלַחְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־טִימוֹתִיּוֹס בְּנִי הָאָהוּב וְהַנֶּאֱמָן בָּאָדוֹן וְהוּא יַזְכִּיר לָכֶם אֶת־דְּרָכַי בַּמָּשִׁיחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר מְלַמֵּד אָנֹכִי בְּכָל־מָקוֹם בְּכָל־קְהִלָּה וּקְהִלָּה	17 and why I have sent you Timothy, a dear and faithful son to me in the Lord, who will remind you of myprinciples of conduct in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
18 הֶן־יֵשׁ מִתְנַשְׂאִים כְּאִלּוּ לֹא־אָבוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם	18 On the assumption that I was not coming to you, some of you have become filled with your own self-importance;
19 אֲבָל בּוֹא אָבוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם בִּזְמַן קָרוֹב אִם־יִרְצֶה הָאָדוֹן וְאֵדְעָה לֹא אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַמִּתְנַשְׂאִים כִּי אִם־אֶת־גְּבוּרָתָם	19 but I shal be coming to you soon, the Lord willing, and then I shal find out not what these self-important people say, but what power they have.
20 כִּי מַלְכוּת הָאֱלֹהִים אֵינֶנָּה בִּדְבַר שְׂפָתָיִם כִּי אִם־בַּגְּבוּרָה	20 For the kingdom of God consists not in spoken words but in power.
21 וּמַה־תַּחְפֹּצוּ הֲבוֹא אָבוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם בַּשֵּׁבֶט אוֹ בְאַהֲבָה וּבְרוּחַ עֲנָוָה	21 What do you want then? Am I to come to you with a stick in my hand or in love, and with a spirit ofgentleness?