Jude

Greeting

Jude, ^aa slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:

To those who are the called, ^bloved ^cdby God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. ^e

²May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. ^f

Jude’s Purpose in Writing

³Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, ^gI found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith ^hthat was delivered ⁱto the saints once for all. ⁴For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago, ^jhave come in by stealth; ^kthey are ungodly, ^lturning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying ^mJesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Apostates: Past and Present

⁵Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: The Lord ⁿfirst ^osaved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; ^p6and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, the angels ^qwho did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. ⁷In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah ^rand the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions, ^sjust as angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. ^t

⁸Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones. ^u9Yet Michael ^vthe archangel, ^wwhen he was disputing with the Devil ^xin a debate about Moses’ ^ybody, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰But these people blaspheme anything they don’t understand. What they know by instinct like unreasoning animals—they destroy themselves with these things. ¹¹Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, ^zhave abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam ^afor profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion. ^b

The Apostates’ Doom

¹²These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs ^cat your love feasts. ^dThey feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; ^etrees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; ¹³wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars ^ffor whom the blackness of darkness ^gis reserved forever! ^h

¹⁴And Enoch, ⁱin the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them:

Look! The Lord comes ^j

with thousands of His holy ones ^k

¹⁵to execute judgment on all

and to convict them ^l

of all their ungodly ^macts

that they have done in an ungodly way,

and of all the harsh things ungodly sinners

have said against Him.

¹⁶These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires; ⁿtheir mouths utter arrogant words, flattering ^opeople for their own advantage.

¹⁷But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸they told you, “In the end time ^pthere will be scoffers ^qwalking according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹These people create divisions and are unbelievers, ^rsnot having the Spirit.

Exhortation and Benediction

²⁰But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, ^t21keep yourselves in the love of God, ^uexpecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. ²²Have mercy on those who doubt; ²³save others by snatching them from the fire; ^vhave mercy on others but with fear, ^whating ^xeven the garment ^ydefiled by the flesh.

²⁴Now to Him ^zwho is able to protect you from stumbling ^aand to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless ^band with great joy, ²⁵to the only ^cGod our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, ^dbe glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, ^enow and forever. Amen.