⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread ^[a]free of charge, but worked with ^(A)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have ^(B)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are ^(C)busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and ^[b]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ ^(D)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

⁹ For you remember, brethren, our ^(A)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(B)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

^10 (C)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(D)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are ^(A)true, whatever things are ^(B)noble, whatever things are ^(C)just, ^(D)whatever things are pure, whatever things are ^(E)lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

^17 (A)Repay no one evil for evil. ^(B)Have^[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men.

²² But ^(A)the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

^12 (A)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.