1Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him,
2that you not be quickly shaken from your mind, nor be alarmed—neither by a spirit, nor by a word, nor by a letter as if from us—to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3Let no one deceive you in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4who opposes and exalts himself over everything called God or an object of worship, so that he seats himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Do you not remember that while I was still with you I used to tell you these things?
6And now you know what is restraining, so that he may be revealed in his own time.
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and abolish by the appearance of his coming,
9whose coming is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10and with every deception of unrighteousness for those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11And because of this God sends them a working of delusion, so that they believe the lie,
12in order that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
13But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14to which he also called you through our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or by our letter.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
17comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
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