2 Thessalonians 2 : Easy-to-Read Version
Evil Things Will Happen
2 1Brothers [and sisters], we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to talk to you about that time when we will meet together with him. 2Don't become easily upset in your thinking or afraid if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Some person may say this in a prophecy* or in some message. Or you may read it in a letter that some person tells you came from us. 3Don't let any person fool you in any way. [That day of the Lord will not come] until the turning away [from God] happens. And [that day will not come] until the Man of Evil appears (comes). That Man of Evil belongs to hell.* 4That Man of Evil is against anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil puts himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil even goes into God's temple* and sits there. Then he says that he is God. 5I told you before that all these things would happen. Remember? 6And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear (come) at the right time. 7The secret power of evil is already working in the world now. But there is one who is stopping that secret power of evil. And he will continue to stop it until he is removed (taken out of the way). 8Then that Man of Evil will appear (come). And the Lord Jesus will kill that Man of Evil with the breath that comes from his mouth. The Lord Jesus will destroy that Man of Evil with the glory of his coming. 9The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan (the devil). He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders.* 10The Man of Evil will use every kind of evil to trick those people who are lost. Those people are lost because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) 11But those people refused to love the truth, so God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth. God sends them that power so that they will believe something that is not true. 12So all those people who don't believe the truth will be condemned (judged guilty). They did not believe the truth, and they enjoyed doing evil things.
You Are Chosen for Salvation
13Brothers [and sisters], the Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning to be saved. So we should always thank God for you. You are saved by the Spirit* making you holy* and by your faith (believing) in the truth. 14God called you to have that salvation. He called you by using the Good News* that we told you. God called you so that you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So, brothers [and sisters], stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you. We taught you those things in our speaking and in our letter to you. 16-17We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us. Through his grace (kindness) he gave us a good hope and comfort that continues forever.
prophecy Here, false teaching by a person who claims to speaks for God. belongs to hell Literally, "{He is} the son of destruction." temple Probably the special building in Jerusalem where God commanded the Jews to worship. false miracles, signs, and wonders Here, this means amazing acts done by the devil's power. Spirit, Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, he does God's work among people in the world. holy God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ and belong only to God. Good News, message The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever.