2 Thessalonians 1:6 (ASV)

Passage

if so be that it is righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 1:4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure;

2 Thessalonians 1:5 [which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2 Thessalonians 1:6 if so be that it is righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire,

2 Thessalonians 1:8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "righteous", "recompense", and "affliction". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "righteous" and "recompense", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "which is a manifest token of the..." into verse 7's "and to you that are afflicted rest...", so "righteous" and "recompense" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "righteous" and "recompense" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.