1 From Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James—
To those who have been called by God, who live in the love of God the Father and the protection of Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in full measure.
False Teachers
3 My dear friends, I was doing my best to write to you about the salvation we share in common, when I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith which once and for all God has given to his people. 4 For some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Long ago the Scriptures predicted the condemnation they have received.
5 For even though you know all this, I want to remind you of how the Lord once rescued the people of Israel from Egypt, but afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned. 7 Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, and the nearby towns, whose people acted as those angels did and indulged in sexual immorality and perversion: they suffer the punishment of eternal fire as a plain warning to all.
8 In the same way also, these people have visions which make them sin against their own bodies; they despise God's authority and insult the glorious beings above. 9 Not even the chief angel Michael did this. In his quarrel with the Devil, when they argued about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people attack with insults anything they do not understand; and those things that they know by instinct, like wild animals, are the very things that destroy them. 11 How terrible for them! They have followed the way that Cain took. For the sake of money they have given themselves over to the error that Balaam committed. They have rebelled as Korah rebelled, and like him they are destroyed. 12 With their shameless carousing they are like dirty spots in your fellowship meals. They take care only of themselves. They are like clouds carried along by the wind, but bringing no rain. They are like trees that bear no fruit, even in autumn, trees that have been pulled up by the roots and are completely dead. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea, with their shameful deeds showing up like foam. They are like wandering stars, for whom God has reserved a place forever in the deepest darkness.
14 It was Enoch, the seventh direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them: “The Lord will come with many thousands of his holy angels 15 to bring judgment on all, to condemn them all for the godless deeds they have performed and for all the terrible words that godless sinners have spoken against him!”
16 These people are always grumbling and blaming others; they follow their own evil desires; they brag about themselves and flatter others in order to get their own way.
Warnings and Instructions
17 But remember, my friends, what you were told in the past by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “When the last days come, people will appear who will make fun of you, people who follow their own godless desires.” 19 These are the people who cause divisions, who are controlled by their natural desires, who do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.
22 Show mercy toward those who have doubts; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and to others show mercy mixed with fear, but hate their very clothes, stained by their sinful lusts.
Prayer of Praise
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to bring you faultless and joyful before his glorious presence— 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, from all ages past, and now, and forever and ever! Amen.
1 IVde a seruaunt of Iesus Christ, and brother of Iames, to them which are called and sanctified of God the Father, and returned to Iesus Christ: 2 Mercie vnto you, and peace and loue be multiplied. 3 Beloued, when I gaue al diligece to write vnto you of the common saluation, it was needful for me to write vnto you to exhort you, that yee should earnestly contend for the maintenace of ye faith, which was once giuen vnto the Saintes. 4 For there are certaine men crept in, which were before of olde ordeined to this condemnation: vngodly men they are which turne the grace of our God into wantonnesse, and denie God the onely Lord, and our Lord Iesus Christ. 5 I wil therfore put you in remebrance, forasmuch as ye once knew this, how that the Lord, after that he had deliuered the people out of Egypt, destroied them afterward which beleeued not. 6 The Angels also which kept not their first estate, but left their owne habitation, hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day. 7 As Sodom and Gomorrhe, and the cities about them, which in like maner as they did, committed fornication, and followed strange flesh, are set foorth for an ensample, and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire. 8 Likewise notwithstanding these sleepers also defile the flesh, and despise gouernment, and speake euill of them that are in authoritie. 9 Yet Michael the Archangell, when hee stroue against the deuill, and disputed about the body of Moses, durst not blame him with cursed speaking, but sayd, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these speake euill of those thinges, which they know not: and whatsoeuer things they know naturally, as beasts, which are without reason, in those things they corrupt them selues. 11 Wo be vnto them: for they haue followed the way of Cain, and are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages, and perish in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are rockes in your feasts of charitie when they feast with you, without al feare, feeding themselues: cloudes they are without water, caried about of windes, corrupt trees and without fruit, twise dead, and plucked vp by ye rootes. 13 They are the raging waues of the sea, foming out their owne shame: they are wandring starres, to whome is reserued the blackenesse of darkenesse for euer. 14 And Enoch also the seuenth from Adam, prophecied of such, saying, Beholde, the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints, 15 To giue iudgement against al men, and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds, which they haue vngodly committed, and of all their cruel speakings, which wicked sinners haue spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their owne lustes: Whose mouthes speake proud things, hauing mens persons in admiration, because of aduantage. 17 But, yee beloued, remember the wordes which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ, 18 How that they told you that there should be mockers in ye last time, which should walke after their owne vngodly lustes. 19 These are they that separate them selues from other, naturall, hauing not the Spirit. 20 But, yee beloued, edifie your selues in your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost, 21 And keepe your selues in the loue of God, looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ, vnto eternall life. 22 And haue compassion of some, in putting difference: 23 And other saue with feare, pulling them out of the fire, and hate euen that garment which is spotted by the flesh. 24 Nowe vnto him that is able to keepe you, that ye fall not, and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glorie with ioy, 25 That is, to God only wise, our Sauiour, be glorie, and maiestie, and dominion, and power, both nowe and for euer, Amen.