¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(A) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(B) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(C)

¹² These people are blemishes at your love feasts,^(D) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.^(E) They are clouds without rain,^(F) blown along by the wind;^(G) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted^(H)—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea,^(I) foaming up their shame;^(J) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.^(K)

¹⁴ Enoch,^(L) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(M) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^{(N) 15} to judge^(O) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^{[a](P) 16} These people are grumblers^(Q) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(R) they boast^(S) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷ But, dear friends, remember what the apostles^(T) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.^{(U) 18} They said to you, “In the last times^(V) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”^{(W) 19} These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.^(X)

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up^(Y) in your most holy faith^(Z) and praying in the Holy Spirit,^{(AA) 21} keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait^(AB) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.^(AC)

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire;^(AD) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.^[b](AE)

Doxology

²⁴ To him who is able^(AF) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence^(AG) without fault^(AH) and with great joy—

Cain and Abel

4 Adam^[a] made love to his wife^(A) Eve,^(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.^[b](C) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth^[c] a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.^(D)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.^{(E) 3} In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(F) to the Lord.^{(G) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(H) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(I) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(J) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?^(K) Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;^(L) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(M)”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(N)

Korah, Dathan and Abiram

16 Korah^(A) son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram^(B), sons of Eliab,^(C) and On son of Peleth—became insolent^[a]

¹⁵ Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first.