1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers,
2 not to be quickly shaken out of your senses or alarmed, whether by a spirit or by a spoken word or by a letter supposedly from us, as if the day of Christ had already arrived.
3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For it will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who sets himself against and lifts himself up over everything that is called God or is an object of worship, so that he takes his seat as God in the temple of God and puts himself on show, claiming that he is God.
5 Don't you remember that while I was still with you I used to tell you these things?
6 And you know what is holding him back now, so that he may be revealed when his time comes.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already operating; only there is one who restrains now, until he is removed from the scene.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and render powerless by the radiance of his coming.
9 The coming of that one is in accordance with the activity of Satan, with every kind of power and with lying signs and wonders,
10 and with every deceit of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they refused to welcome the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them an active power of error, to make them believe the lie,
12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God picked you from the beginning for salvation, in the Spirit's sanctification and in faith in the truth.
14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers, stand your ground and hold on to the traditions in which you were instructed, whether by spoken word or by our letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us everlasting encouragement and a good hope,
17 encourage your hearts and make you steadfast in every good word and deed.