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Judas, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to these that be loved, that be in God the Father, and to them that be called and kept of Jesus Christ [and of Jesus Christ kept and called],

mercy, and peace, and charity be filled to you. [mercy to you, and peace, and charity be full-filled.]

Most dear brethren [Most dear], I doing all busyness to write to you of your common health, had need to write to you, and pray to strive strongly for the faith that is once taken to saints [for the faith once betaken to saints].

For some unfaithful men privily entered, that sometime were before-written into this doom, and overturn the grace of our God into lechery, and deny him that is only a Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ. [Forsooth some men privily entered, that sometime were before-written into this doom, unpious men, overturning the grace of our God into lechery, and denying the alone lordshipper and our Lord Jesus Christ.]

But I will admonish you once, that know all things, that Jesus saved his people from the land of Egypt, and the second time destroyed them that believed not. [Forsooth I will together admonish you, witting once all things, for Jesus saving his people of the land of Egypt, the second time lost them that believed not.]

And he reserved under darkness angels, that kept not their princehood, but forsook their house, into the doom of the great God, into everlasting bonds. [Soothly angels that kept not his princehood, but forsook his house, he reserved into the doom of great God, in everlasting bonds under darkness.]

As Sodom, and Gomorrha, and the nigh coasted cities, that in like manner did fornication, and went away after other flesh, and be made ensample, suffering pain of everlasting fire.[a]

In like manner also these that defoul the flesh, and despise lordship, and blaspheme majesty.

When Michael, archangel, disputed with the devil, and strove of Moses' body [When Michael, the archangel, disputing with the devil, strove of Moses' body], he was not hardy to bring in doom of blasphemy, but said, The Lord command to thee.

10 But these men blaspheme [Forsooth these blaspheme], whatever things they know not. For whatever things they know naturally as dumb beasts [Forsooth whatever things they know by kind as dumb beasts], in these they be corrupt.

11 Woe to them that went the way of Cain, and that be shed out by error of Balaam for meed, and perished in the gainsaying of Core [and perished in the again-saying of Core].

12 These be in their meats, feasting together to filth [These be in their meats filths, or defoulings, feasting together], without dread feeding themselves. These be clouds without water, that be borne about of winds; harvest trees without fruit, twice dead, drawn up by the root;

13 waves of the mad sea, foaming out their confusions; erring stars, to which the tempest of darknesses is kept without end. [waves of the wild, or mad, sea, frothing out their confusions; erring stars, to whom the tempest of darknesses is kept into without end.]

14 But Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, and said [saying], Lo! the Lord cometh with his holy thousands,

15 to do doom against all men, and to reprove all unfaithful men of all the works of the wickedness of them, by which they did wickedly, and of all the hard words, that wicked sinners have spoken against God.[b]

16 These be grumblers full of plaints [These be grutchers plaining, or full of plaints], wandering after their desires; and the mouth of them speaketh pride, worshipping persons, because of winning [by cause of winning].

17 And ye, most dear brethren, be mindful of the words [Forsooth, ye most dear, be ye mindful of the words], which be before-said of [the] apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 which said to you, that in the last times there shall come beguilers [there shall come scorners], wandering after their own desires, not in piety.

19 These be, which separate themselves, beastly men, not having Spirit. [These be, the which separate themselves, beastly, not having Spirit.]

20 But ye, most dear brethren, above build yourselves on your most holy faith, and pray ye in the Holy Ghost,[c]

21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, and abide ye the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into life everlasting. [keep yourselves in the love of God, abiding the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into life everlasting.]

22 And reprove ye these men that be deemed,

23 but save ye them, and take ye them from the fire. And do ye mercy to other men, in the dread of God, and hate ye also that defouled coat, which is fleshly.[d]

24 But to him that is mighty to keep you without sin, and to ordain before the sight of his glory you unwemmed in full out joy,

25 in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God alone our Saviour, by Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, and magnifying, empire, and power, before all worlds, and now, and into all worlds of worlds. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:7 As Sodom, and Gomorrha, and nigh coasted cities, in like manner doing fornication, and going away after other flesh, be made example, suffering pain of everlasting fire.
  2. Jude 1:15 for to do doom against all, and to reprove all unpious men of all the works of the unpiety of them, by which they did unpiously, and of all hard words, that unpious sinners have spoken against God.
  3. Jude 1:20 Forsooth ye, most dear, above building yourselves on your most holy faith, in the Holy Ghost praying,
  4. Jude 1:23 forsooth save ye them, snatching them of the fire. Soothly do ye mercy to others in dread of God, hating and that defouled coat, that is flesh.

He rebukes such persons as, being blinded by their own lusts, resist the truth; and so that we may know them better, he describes them as such as sin abominably against nature, despise rulers, etc. He exhorts us to build one another up, to pray in the Holy Spirit, to continue in love, to look for the coming of the Lord, and one to help another out of the fire.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, the brother of James.

To those who are called and sanctified in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. Mercy to you, and peace and love be multiplied.

Beloveds, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you, to exhort you to labour continually in the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. For there are certain men who have craftily crept in, who were long ago marked out for such judgment. They are ungodly, and turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

My intent is therefore to remind you, since you already know this, that the Lord (after he had delivered the people out of Egypt) destroyed those who afterward did not believe. The angels also who did not keep their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day – even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the places around them (which in like manner defiled themselves with fornication and followed unnatural desires), are set forth as an example, and suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise these dreamers defile the flesh, despise rulers, and speak evil of those who are in authority. Yet Michael the archangel, when he strove against the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, dared not give railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you. 10 But these speak evil of those things that they do not know. And the things they know instinctively, as do animals that are without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe be to them, for they have followed the way of Cain, and are utterly given to the error of Balaam, for the sake of personal gain, and perish in the treason of Korah. 12 These are spots who of your kindness feast together, without fear feeding themselves. Clouds they are without water, carried about by winds, and trees without fruit at gathering time, twice dead and plucked up by the roots. 13 They are the raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied before of such persons, saying, Behold, the Lord will come with thousands of saints, 15 to give judgment against all men, and to rebuke all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, whose mouths speak proud things. They have others in great reverence for the sake of advantage.

17 But you, beloveds, remember the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 how they told you that there would be beguilers in the last time, who would walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are makers of fleshly sects, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, dearly beloveds, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And have compassion on some, separating them; 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; and hate the spotted vesture of the flesh.

24 Now to him who is able to keep you so that you do not fall, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with joy – 25 that is to say, to God our Saviour, who alone is wise – be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

Hereafter follows
the Apocalypse.

The General Epistle of Jude

3 He warneth the godly to take heed of such men, 4 that make the grace of God a cloak for their wantonness:  5 and that they shall not escape unpunished, for the contempt of that grace, 6, 7 he proveth by three examples: 14 and allegeth the prophecy of Enoch: 20 Finally he showeth the godly a means to overthrow all the snares of those deceivers.

Jude a servant of Jesus Christ, and [a]brother of James, to them which are called and sanctified [b]of God the Father, and [c]reserved to Jesus Christ:

Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied.

[d]Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the [e]common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, to exhort you, that ye should earnestly [f]contend for the maintenance of the faith, which was [g]once given unto the Saints.

[h]For there are certain men crept in, which were before of old ordained to this condemnation: [i]ungodly men they are, which turn the grace of our God into wantonness, and (A)deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

[j]I will therefore put you in remembrance, forasmuch as ye once knew this, how that the Lord, after that he had delivered the people out of Egypt, (B)destroyed them afterward which believed not.

[k]The (C)Angels also which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

As (D)Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, which in like manner as they did, [l]committed fornication, and followed [m]strange flesh, are set forth for an example, and suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise notwithstanding these [n]sleepers also defile the flesh, [o]and despise [p]government, and speak evil of them that are in authority.

[q]Yet Michael the Archangel, when he strove against the devil, and disputed about the body of Moses, durst not blame him with cursed speaking, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 [r]But these speak evil of those things, which they know not: and whatsoever things they know naturally as beasts, which are without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 [s]Woe be unto them: for they have followed the way (E)of Cain, and are cast away by the deceit (F)of Balaam’s wages, and perish in the gainsaying (G)of Korah.

12 [t]These are rocks in your [u]feasts of charity, when they feast with you, without [v]all fear, feeding themselves: (H)clouds they are without water, carried about of winds, corrupt trees and without fruit, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots.

13 They are the raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames: they are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the [w]blackness of darkness forever.

14 And Enoch also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of such, saying, (I)Behold, the Lord [x]cometh with thousands of his Saints,

15 To give judgment against all men, and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their cruel speakings, which wicked sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts: (J)whose mouths speak proud things, having men’s persons in admiration, because of advantage.

17 [y]But, ye beloved, remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

18 How that they told you that there should be mockers (K)in the last time, which should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 [z]These are they that separate themselves from others, natural, having not the Spirit.

20 But, ye beloved, edify yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost.

21 And keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life.

22 [aa]And have compassion of some, in putting difference:

23 And others save with [ab]fear, pulling them out of the fire, and hate even that [ac]garment which is spotted by the flesh.

24 [ad]Now unto him that is able to keep you that ye fall not, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with joy,

25 That is, to God only wise, our Savior be glory, and majesty, and dominion, and power, both now and forever, Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 This is put to make a difference between him and Judas Iscariot.
  2. Jude 1:1 By God the Father.
  3. Jude 1:1 Set apart by the everlasting counsel of God, to be delivered to Christ to be kept.
  4. Jude 1:3 The end and mark whereat he shooteth in this Epistle is that he confirmeth the godly against certain wicked men, both in wholesome doctrine and good manners.
  5. Jude 1:3 Of those things that pertain to the salvation of all of us.
  6. Jude 1:3 That ye should defend the faith by all the might you can, both by true doctrine and good example of life.
  7. Jude 1:3 Which was once so given, that it may never be changed.
  8. Jude 1:4 It is by God’s providence and not by chance, that many wicked men creep into the Church.
  9. Jude 1:4 He condemneth this first in them, that they take a pretense or occasion to wax wanton, by the grace of God: which cannot be, but the chief empire of Christ must be abrogated, in that such men give up themselves to Satan: as at this time the sect of the Anabaptists doth, which they call Libertines.
  10. Jude 1:5 He setteth forth the horrible punishment of them which have abuseth the grace of God to follow their own lusts.
  11. Jude 1:6 The fall of the Angels was most sincerely punished, how much more then will the Lord punish wicked and faithless men?
  12. Jude 1:7 Following the steps of Sodom and Gomorrah.
  13. Jude 1:7 Thus he covertly setteth forth their horrible and monstrous lusts.
  14. Jude 1:8 Which are so blockish and void of reason as if all their senses and wits were in a most dead sleep.
  15. Jude 1:8 Another most pernicious doctrine of theirs, in that they take away the authority of Magistrates, and speak evil of them, as at this day the Anabaptists do.
  16. Jude 1:8 It is a greater matter to despise government, than the governors, that is to say, the matter itself, than the persons.
  17. Jude 1:9 An argument of comparison, Michael one of the chiefest Angels, was content to deliver Satan, although as most cursed enemy, to the judgment of God to be punished: and these perverse men are not ashamed to speak evil of the powers which are ordained of God.
  18. Jude 1:10 The conclusion.These men are in a double fault, to wit, both for their rash folly in condemning some, and for their impudent and shameless contempt of that knowledge, which when they had gotten, yet notwithstanding they lived as brute beasts, serving their bellies.
  19. Jude 1:11 He foretelleth their destruction, because they resemble or show forth Cain’s shameless malice, Balaam’s filthy covetousness, and to be short, Korah’s seditious and ambitious head.
  20. Jude 1:12 He rebuketh most sharply with many other notes and marks, both their dishonesty or filthiness, and their sauciness, but especially their vain bravery of words, and most vain pride, joining herewithal a most grave and heavy threatening out of a most ancient prophecy of Enoch touching the judgment to come.
  21. Jude 1:12 The feasts of charity were certain banquets, which the brethren that were members of the Church kept altogether, as Tertullian setteth them forth in his Apology, Chap. 3:9.
  22. Jude 1:12 Impudently, without all reverence either to God or man.
  23. Jude 1:13 Most gross darkness.
  24. Jude 1:14 The present time for the time to come.
  25. Jude 1:17 The rising up of such monsters was spoken of before, that we should not be troubled at the newness of the matter.
  26. Jude 1:19 It is the property of Antichrists to separate themselves from the godly, because they are not governed by the Spirit of God: and contrariwise it is the property of Christians to edify one another through godly prayers both in faith and also in love until the mercy of Christ appears to their full salvation.
  27. Jude 1:22 Among them which wander and go astray, the godly have to use this choice, that they handle some of them gently, and that others some being even in the very flame, they endeavor to save with severe and sharp instruction of the present danger: yet so, that they do in such sort abhor the wicked and dishonest, that they eschew even the least contagion that may be.
  28. Jude 1:23 By fearing them, and holding them back with godly severity.
  29. Jude 1:23 An amplification taken from the forbidden things of the Law which did defile.
  30. Jude 1:24 He commendeth them to the grace of God, declaring sufficiently that it is God only that can give us that constancy which he requireth of us.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.