2 Thessalonians 3:8-12
3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. 1 Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked 2 night and day in order not to burden any of you.
3:9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. 3
3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.”
3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, 4 not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. 5
3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. 6
1 tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”
2 tn Grk “but working,” as a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the word “Instead” in the translation.
3 tn Grk “an example for you to imitate us.”
4 tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).
5 tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”
6 tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”