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2 Thessalonians 3:8–12

nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we workedd night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,e but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.f 10 For even when we were with you,g we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to workh shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.i 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christj to settle down and earn the food they eat.k

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2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — English Standard Version (ESV)

nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. 10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — New Living Translation (NLT)

We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — New Century Version (NCV)

And when we ate another person’s food, we always paid for it. We worked very hard night and day so we would not be an expense to any of you. We had the right to ask you to help us, but we worked to take care of ourselves so we would be an example for you to follow. 10 When we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Anyone who refuses to work should not eat.”

11 We hear that some people in your group refuse to work. They do nothing but busy themselves in other people’s lives. 12 We command those people and beg them in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and earn their own food.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — American Standard Version (ASV)

neither did we eat bread for nought at any man’s hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you: not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should imitate us. 10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. 11 For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

nor have we eaten bread from any one without cost; but in toil and hardship working night and day not to be chargeable to any one of you: not that we have not the right, but that we might give ourselves as an example to you, in order to your imitating us. 10 For also when we were with you we enjoined you this, that if any man does not like to work, neither let him eat. 11 For we hear that there are some walking among you disorderly, not working at all, but busybodies. 12 Now such we enjoin and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that working quietly they eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard and struggled night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. It’s not as though we didn’t have a right to receive support. Rather, we wanted to set an example for you to follow. 10 While we were with you, we gave you the order: “Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.” 

11 We hear that some of you are not living disciplined lives. You’re not working, so you go around interfering in other people’s lives. 12 We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to pay attention to their own work so they can support themselves.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” 11 For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others. 12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat their own food.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but with toil and labor, we were working night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you, not that we do not have the right, but so that we may give ourselves as an example to you, so that you may imitate us. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: that if anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that some among you are living irresponsibly, working at nothing, but being busybodies. 12 Now we command and we exhort such people in the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with quietness, they eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn’t cause any expense to any of you.

We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow. 10 Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, “Anyone who will not work will not eat.”

11 We hear that some people among you don’t want to work. They aren’t really busy. Instead, they are bothering others. 12 We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:8–12 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;

not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.

10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.


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