2 Tesalonika 3:11-18

3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, ¹  not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. ²  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  3:13 But you, brothers and sisters, ⁴  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. ⁵ 

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. ⁶  3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. ⁷ 

[3:11]  ¹ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:11]  ² tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”

[3:12]  ³ tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”

[3:13]  ⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[3:15]  ⁵ tn That is, as a fellow believer.

[3:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “The greeting in my hand, Paul, which is a sign in every letter, thus I write.”

[3:17]  sn Up to 3:17 the letter was dictated by Paul but written down by a secretary or amanuensis. But Paul took up the pen and wrote vv. 17-18 personally to authenticate that it was his (how I write in every letter). See similar indications in 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; and Col 4:18.

[3:18]  ⁷ tc Most witnesses, including some early and important ones (א² A D F G Ψ Ï lat sy), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the witnesses for the omission are among the best mss (א* B 0278 6 33 1739 1881* 2464 sa), giving sufficient base to prefer the shorter reading.