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

你们自己原知道应当怎样效法我们。因为我们在你们中间，未尝不按规矩而行，

你们自己知道该怎样效法我们。因为我们在你们当中从未懒散过，

你们自己知道该怎样效法我们。因为我们在你们当中从未懒散过，

你们自己知道应该怎样效法我们，因为我们在你们那里的时候，并没有懒懒散散，

你们自己本来就知道应当怎样效法我们，因为我们在你们中间并没有游手好闲，

其实你们自己知道应该怎样效法我们，因为我们在你们那里的时候并没有懒散，

你們自己原知道應當怎樣效法我們。因為我們在你們中間，未嘗不按規矩而行，

你們自己知道該怎樣效法我們。因為我們在你們當中從未懶散過，

你們自己知道該怎樣效法我們。因為我們在你們當中從未懶散過，

你們自己知道應該怎樣效法我們，因為我們在你們那裡的時候，並沒有懶懶散散，

你們自己本來就知道應當怎樣效法我們，因為我們在你們中間並沒有游手好閒，

你們自己原知道該怎樣效法我們；因為我們在你們中間並沒有游手好閒，

其實你們自己知道應該怎樣效法我們，因為我們在你們那裡的時候並沒有懶散，

爾自知當如何效我、蓋我未嘗妄行於爾中、

我素行、乃爾所知、當是則是效、我在爾中、未嘗無度、

爾曹自知當如何效我、蓋我儕於爾中、未嘗妄為、

蓋爾等固知應如何以吾儕為法也。吾儕昔在爾中、日用之間、未嘗不規行矩步、

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,

You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you.

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

For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you;

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

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

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

For you yourselves know how you must imitate us: We were not irresponsible among you;

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

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

For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.

We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

So I urge you to imitate me.

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

You yourselves are our witnesses— and so is God— that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.

Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece— throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me— everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.