2 Thessalonians 3:7

Contemporary English Version

You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you;

King James Version (1611)
For your selues know how yee ought to follow vs: for wee behaued not our selues disorderly among you,

King James Version
For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

English Standard Version
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you,

New American Standard Bible
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined way among you,

New Century Version
You yourselves know that you should live as we live. We were not lazy when we were with you.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,

Legacy Standard Bible
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you,

Berean Standard Bible
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,

Complete Jewish Bible
For you yourselves know how you must imitate us, that we were not idle when we were among you.

Darby Translation
For ye know yourselves how ye ought to imitate us, because we have not walked disorderly among you;

Easy-to-Read Version
You yourselves know that you should live like we do. We were not lazy when we were with you.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For ye your selues know, how ye ought to follow vs: for we behaued not our selues inordinately among you,

George Lamsa Translation
For you know well how you ought to imitate us; for our behaviour was not disorderly among you;

Good News Translation
You yourselves know very well that you should do just what we did. We were not lazy when we were with you.

Lexham English Bible
For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate us, that we did not behave irresponsibly among you,

Literal Translation
For you yourselves know how it is right to act like us, because we were not disorderly among you;

Amplified Bible
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined or inappropriate manner when we were with you [we were never idle or lazy, nor did we avoid our duties],

American Standard Version
For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

Bible in Basic English
For you yourselves are used to taking us as your example, because our life among you was ruled by order,

Hebrew Names Version
For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

International Standard Version
For you yourselves know what you must do to imitate us. We did not live in idlenessWe did not lead a disorderly life">[fn] among you.1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 2:10;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For you know how it behoveth to imitate us who walked not wickedly among you.

Murdock Translation
For ye know how ye ought to imitate us, who did not walk wickedly among you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For ye your selues knowe howe ye ought to folowe vs: For we behaued not our selues inordinately among you,

English Revised Version
For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

World English Bible
For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you,

Weymouth's New Testament
For you yourselves know that it is your duty to follow our example. There was no disorder in our lives among you,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For `ye silf witen, hou it bihoueth to sue vs. For we weren not vnpesible among you,

Update Bible Version
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us: for we did not behave ourselves disorderly among you;

Webster's Bible Translation
For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

New English Translation
For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you,

New King James Version
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;

New Living Translation
For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.

New Life Bible
You know you should follow the way of life we lived when we were with you. We worked hard while we were there.

New Revised Standard
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, ye yourselves, know, how needful it is to be imitating us, in that we were not disorderly among you,

Douay-Rheims Bible
For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us. For we were not disorderly among you.

Revised Standard Version
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye youre selves knowe how ye ought to folowe vs. For we behaved not oure selves inordinatly amonge you.

Young's Literal Translation
for yourselves have known how it behoveth [you] to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For ye yor selues knowe, how ye oughte to folowe vs: for we behaued not oure selues inordinatly amonge you,

Mace New Testament (1729)
for you know what an example we have given for your imitation: that our conduct among you was regular:

Simplified Cowboy Version
Y'all know the way we taught y'all . . . so do it. We weren't lazy when we were with you,

Contextual Overview

⁶ My dear friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you. ⁷ You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, ⁸ and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could. ⁹ We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you. ¹⁰ We also gave you the rule that if you don't work, you don't eat. ¹¹ Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody. ¹² So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living. ¹³ Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right. ¹⁴ Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them. ¹⁵ Don't consider them your enemies, but speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

how: 2 Thessalonians 3:9, 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, Philippians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7, 1 Peter 5:3

for: 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 2:6 - General 2 Kings 4:7 - pay Proverbs 31:18 - her candle John 21:3 - I go Acts 20:18 - after 1 Corinthians 9:6 - have 1 Corinthians 13:5 - behave 2 Corinthians 7:2 - we have wronged 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - what 1 Thessalonians 2:9 - our 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - to work Hebrews 13:7 - whose

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:5
"God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does."

Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"

Genesis 3:11
"How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"

Deuteronomy 28:34
What you see will be so horrible that you will go insane,

2 Kings 6:20
When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, " Lord , now let them see again." The Lord let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.

Isaiah 28:20
Your bed is too short, your blanket too skimpy.

Isaiah 59:6
but you can't make clothes with those webs or hide behind them. You're sinful and brutal.

Luke 16:23
He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us,.... The apostle goes on to dissuade from that which denominates persons disorderly walkers, and exposes them to the censure of the church, and that partly by the example of the apostles, and partly by their command. He appeals to them, to their knowledge and judgment, it being a thing well known to them, that they ought to walk as they had the apostles for ensamples; for who should they follow but their spiritual fathers, shepherds, and guides? and especially so far as they were followers of Christ, as they were, in the case referred unto, working with their own hands:

for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; they could appeal to them as witnesses, and God also, how holily, justly, and unblamably they walked among them; see 1 Thessalonians 2:10 and particularly, that they did not live an idle and inactive life among them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us - You know what you should do in order to imitate us.

For we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you - See the notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. We behaved not ourselves disorderly — ουκ ητακτησαμεν. We did not go out of our rank-we kept our place, and discharged all its duties.