2 Thessalonians 3:7-10

3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline ¹  among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. ²  Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked ³  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. ⁴  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.”

[3:7]  ¹ tn This is the verbal form of the words occurring in vv. 6 and 11, meaning “to act out of line, in an unruly way.”

[3:8]  ² tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”

[3:8]  ³ 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.

[3:9]  ⁴ tn Grk “an example for you to imitate us.”