2 Thessalonians 3:7–12

3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline11 among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying.12 Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked13 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.14 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,15 not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others.16 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.17

11	tn This is the verbal form of the words occurring in vv. 6 and 11, meaning “to act out of line, in an unruly way.”
12	tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”
13	tn Grk “but working,” as a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the word “Instead” in the translation.
14	tn Grk “an example for you to imitate us.”
15	tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).
16	tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”
17	tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”