2 Thessalonians 1:6 (DBY)

Passage

if at least [it is a] righteous thing with God to render tribulation to those that trouble you,

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 1:4 so that we ourselves make our boast in you in the assemblies of God for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, which ye are sustaining;

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

2 Thessalonians 1:6 if at least [it is a] righteous thing with God to render tribulation to those that trouble you,

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to you that are troubled repose with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with [the] angels of his power,

2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and those who do not obey the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "a manifest token of the righteous judgment..." into verse 7's "and to you that are troubled repose...", so "least" and "righteous" 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 "least" and "righteous" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.