2 Thessalonians 2:3–12

³Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy^E comes first and the man of lawlessness^F is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god^ad or object of worship,^ae so that he sits^G in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.

⁵Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? ⁶And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time.^{af 7}For the mystery of lawlessness^ag is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, ⁸and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth^ah and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. ⁹The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie,^{ai 10}and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.^{aj 11}For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, ¹²so that all will be condemned^ak—those who did not believe^al the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.