Greeting

Jude,(A) a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:

To those who are the called,(B) loved[a](C) by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.(D)

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.(E)

Jude’s Purpose in Writing

Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share,(F) I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith(G) that was delivered(H) to the saints once for all. For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago,(I) have come in by stealth;(J) they are ungodly,(K) turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying(L) Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Apostates: Past and Present

Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: The Lord[b] first[c] saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;(M) and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, the angels(N) who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah(O) and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions,[d] just as angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.(P)

Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones.(Q) Yet Michael(R) the archangel,(S) when he was disputing with the Devil(T) in a debate about Moses’(U) body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people blaspheme anything they don’t understand. What they know by instinct like unreasoning animals—they destroy themselves with these things. 11 Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain,(V) have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam(W) for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.(X)

The Apostates’ Doom

12 These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs[e] at your love feasts.(Y) They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds;(Z) trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars(AA) for whom the blackness of darkness(AB) is reserved forever!(AC)

14 And Enoch,(AD) in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them:

Look! The Lord comes[f]
with thousands of His holy ones(AE)
15 to execute judgment on all
and to convict them[g]
of all their ungodly(AF) acts
that they have done in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things ungodly sinners
have said against Him.

16 These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires;(AG) their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering(AH) people for their own advantage.

17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 they told you, “In the end time(AI) there will be scoffers(AJ) walking according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people create divisions and are unbelievers,[h](AK) not having the Spirit.

Exhortation and Benediction

20 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit,(AL) 21 keep yourselves in the love of God,(AM) expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire;(AN) have mercy on others but with fear,(AO) hating(AP) even the garment(AQ) defiled by the flesh.

24 Now to Him(AR) who is able to protect you from stumbling(AS) and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless(AT) and with great joy, 25 to the only(AU) God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,[i] be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time,[j] now and forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Other mss read sanctified
  2. Jude 1:5 Other mss read Jesus/Joshua, God, or God Christ
  3. Jude 1:5 Other mss place first after remind you
  4. Jude 1:7 Lit and went after other flesh
  5. Jude 1:12 Or like spots
  6. Jude 1:14 Or came
  7. Jude 1:15 Lit convict all
  8. Jude 1:19 Or natural
  9. Jude 1:25 Other mss omit through Jesus Christ our Lord
  10. Jude 1:25 Other mss omit before all time

[a]Jude, a [b]servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of [c]James, [d]to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.

Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old [e]written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying [f]our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that [g]the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, [h]afterward destroyed them that believed not. And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth [i]as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at [j]dignities. But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they [k]destroyed. 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and [l]ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are [m]hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own [n]shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever. 14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with [o]ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.

17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 that they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after [p]their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are they who make separations, [q]sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 [r]And on some have mercy, [s]who are in doubt; 23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and [t]for evermore. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Greek Judas.
  2. Jude 1:1 Greek bondservant.
  3. Jude 1:1 Or, Jacob
  4. Jude 1:1 Or, to them that are beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ, being called
  5. Jude 1:4 Or, set forth
  6. Jude 1:4 Or, the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ
  7. Jude 1:5 Many very ancient authorities read Jesus.
  8. Jude 1:5 Greek the second time.
  9. Jude 1:7 Or, as an example of eternal fire, suffering punishment
  10. Jude 1:8 Greek glories.
  11. Jude 1:10 Or, corrupted. Compare 2 Pet. 2:12 margin.
  12. Jude 1:11 Or, cast themselves away through
  13. Jude 1:12 Or, spots
  14. Jude 1:13 Greek shames.
  15. Jude 1:14 Greek his holy myriads.
  16. Jude 1:18 Greek their own lusts of ungodlinesses.
  17. Jude 1:19 Or, natural. Or, animal
  18. Jude 1:22 The Greek text in this passage (And . . . fire) is somewhat uncertain. Some ancient authorities read And some refute while they dispute with you. Compare 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 1:9.
  19. Jude 1:22 Or, while they dispute with you
  20. Jude 1:25 Greek unto all the ages.