2 Thessalonians 3:6–15

Warning Against Idleness

⁶But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^hthat you withdraw ⁱfrom every brother who walks ^jdisorderly and not according to the tradition which ¹he received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸nor did we eat anyone’s bread ²free of charge, but worked with ^klabor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹not because we do not have ^lauthority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

¹⁰For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are ^mbusybodies. ¹²Now those who are such we command and ³exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ ⁿthat they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

¹³But as for you, brethren, ^odo not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴And if anyone does not obey our word in this ⁴epistle, note that person and ^pdo not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15qYet do not count him as an enemy, ^rbut ⁵admonish him as a brother.