The Man of Lawlessness
1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness2:3 Some manuscripts sin is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Stand Firm
13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings2:15 Or traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Kubwera kwa Munthu Woyipitsitsa
1Pa za kubweranso kwa Ambuye athu Yesu Khristu ndiponso za kusonkhana kwathu kuti tikumane naye, abale, tikukupemphani 2kuti musagwedezeke msanga mʼmaganizo kapena kuopsezedwa ndi uneneri, mbiri kapena kalata yokhala ngati yachokera kwa ife, yonena kuti tsiku lija la Ambuye linafika kale. 3Musalole kuti wina aliyense akunamizeni mwa njira ina iliyonse. Pakuti tsikulo lisanafike, kudzakhala mpatuko waukulu kwambiri, ndipo kudzaoneka munthu woyipitsitsa uja, munthu woyenera kuwonongedwayo. 4Iyeyo adzatsutsa ndi kudziyika pamwamba pa chilichonse chimene anthu amachitcha mulungu kapena amachipembedza. Iyeyo adzadzikhazika mʼNyumba ya Mulungu ndi kudzitcha Mulungu.
5Kodi simukukumbukira kuti pamene ndinali nanu pamodzi ndinkakuwuzani zimenezi? 6Ndipo tsopano mukudziwa chimene chikumuletsa kuonekera, koma adzawululika pa nthawi yake yoyenera. 7Pakuti mphamvu yobisika yoyipitsitsa ikugwira ntchito ngakhale tsopano; koma amene akutchinga mphamvuyo adzapitiriza kutero mpaka pamene wotchingayo adzachotsedwe. 8Ndipo kenaka woyipitsitsayo adzaonekera, amene Ambuye Yesu adzamugonjetsa ndi mpweya otuluka mʼkamwa mwake ndi kumuwononga ndi ulemerero wa kubwera kwake. 9Woyipitsitsayo adzabwera ndi mphamvu za Satana. Adzaonetsa mphamvu zake pochita zizindikiro ndi zodabwitsa zachinyengo. 10Iye adzagwiritsa ntchito mtundu uliwonse wachinyengo kupusitsa amene akuwonongeka. Iwo akuwonongeka chifukwa akukana kukonda choonadi ndi kuti apulumutsidwe. 11Chifukwa cha chimenechi, Mulungu akuwatumizira chinyengo chachikulu kuti akhulupirire bodza. 12Choncho adzalangidwa onse amene sanakhulupirire choonadi, koma anakondwera mu zoyipa.
Imani Mwamphamvu
13Koma tiyenera kuyamika Mulungu chifukwa cha inu abale okondedwa mwa Ambuye, pakuti Mulungu anakusankhani pachiyambi pomwe kuti mupulumuke chifukwa cha ntchito yoyeretsa ya Mzimu ndi chikhulupiriro chanu mʼchoonadi. 14Iye anakuyitanirani zimenezi kudzera mwa uthenga wathu wabwino, kuti mulandire nawo ulemerero wa Ambuye athu Yesu Khristu. 15Kotero tsono, abale, imani mwamphamvu ndi kugwiritsa ziphunzitso zimene tinakupatsani kudzera mʼmawu apakamwa kapena kudzera mʼkalata.
16Ambuye athu Yesu Khristu mwini ndi Mulungu Atate wathu, amene anatikonda ife ndipo mwachisomo chake anatipatsa kulimba mtima kwamuyaya ndi chiyembekezo chabwino, 17akulimbikitseni ndi kukupatsani mphamvu yogwirira ntchito ndi kuyankhula zabwino zilizonse.
