2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

"Father, thank You for these words of encouragement. You are faithful to Your people, God, and You both start us off on this journey through life and You guard us from the evil one while we go through it. May we remember these words in times of need. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

This is a pretty basic verse. This letter is from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. Verses 1 and 2 are asking for prayers for their ministry and their protection. But after asking for these prayers, they give this statement above.

Different versions disagree on the translation of that second part of this verse: 'who will establish you'. Above is the New King James Version. The New Living Translation gives it as 'strengthen'. If you take the French NIV-type Bible (La Bible du Semeur), the word for word translation is something more along the lines of 'return strong'. The Contemporary English Version says 'The Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm.'

Response Question: Which version gives the closest translation, do you think, or is the real word a combination of all of these ones?

In His Service,
Joyce