Jude
Modern English Version
Salutation
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
To those who are sanctified and called by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
Judgment on False Teachers(A)
3 Beloved, while I diligently tried to write to you of the salvation we have in common, I found it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. 4 For there are some men who secretly crept in, who were marked long ago for this condemnation. They are ungodly men, who pervert the grace of our God into immorality and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 Now I want to remind you, though you already know, that the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt and afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 Likewise, the angels who did not keep to their first domain, but forsook their own dwelling, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities in like manner, gave themselves to immorality and went after different flesh, they serve as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Likewise, these ungodly dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander celestial beings. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil in a dispute about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce upon him a railing judgment. But he said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these men slander those things that they do not understand. But they destroy themselves in those things that, like unreasoning animals, they know by instinct.
11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily after the error of Balaam for a reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
12 These are the ones who are stains on your love feasts as they feast with you irreverently and care only for themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; 13 raging waves of the sea, which are foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been kept forever.
14 Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied of these men, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with ten thousand of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all who are godless of all their wicked deeds that they have committed, and of all the terrible words that godless sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These men are grumblers, complainers, who walk after their own lusts. Their mouths speak arrogant words, and they flatter others to gain profit.
Warnings and Exhortations
17 But, beloved, remember the words that were previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who cause divisions, sensual, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal life.
22 On some have compassion, using discernment. 23 And others save with fear while pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Benediction
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
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Jude
Lexham English Bible
Greeting
1 Jude,[a] a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, loved in God the Father and kept for[b] Jesus Christ. 2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
Contend for the Faith
3 Dear friends, although I[c] was making every effort to write to you concerning our common salvation, I considered it a necessity to write to you to encourage you to contend for the faith delivered once and for all to the saints. 4 For certain men[d] have slipped in stealthily, who were designated long ago for this condemnation, ungodly ones, who change the grace of our God into licentiousness and who deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.
Condemnation of the Ungodly False Teachers
5 Now I want to remind you, although you know everything once and for all,[e] that Jesus,[f] having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling place, he has kept in eternal bonds under deep gloom for the judgment of the great day, 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire[g] in the same way as these, are exhibited as an example by[h] undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Despite that, in the same way also these men, because of their[i] dreams, defile the flesh and reject authority and blaspheme majestic beings. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he argued with the devil, disputing concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these persons blaspheme all that they do not understand, and all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these things they are being destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, and have given themselves up to the error of Balaam for gain, and have perished[j] in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted, 13 wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.
14 And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about[k] these people, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with tens of thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly[l] concerning all their ungodly deeds that they have committed in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These people are grumblers, discontented, proceeding according to their[m] desires, and their mouths speaking pompous words, showing partiality to gain an advantage[n].
Persevere in the Love of God
17 But you, dear friends, remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 for they said to you,[o] “In the end time there will be scoffers following according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by[p] building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by[q] praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt, 23 and save others by[r] snatching them from the fire, and have mercy on others with fear, hating even the tunic stained by the flesh.
Benediction
24 Now to the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to stand before his glory blameless[s] with exultation, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jude 1:1 “Jude” is the traditional form of the name introducing the letter, but the Greek form is the same as “Judas”
- Jude 1:1 Or perhaps “by”
- Jude 1:3 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was making”) which is understood as concessive
- Jude 1:4 Or “people,” since the Greek term can be used in a generic sense, but if this statement is related to 2 Peter 2:12, it is more likely men are in view
- Jude 1:5 Some manuscripts place this word in the following clause
- Jude 1:5 Some manuscripts have “the Lord”
- Jude 1:7 Literally “went after other flesh”
- Jude 1:7 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“undergoing”) which is understood as means
- Jude 1:8 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“dreams”) which is understood as causal
- Jude 1:11 Or possibly “will perish”
- Jude 1:14 Or “against”
- Jude 1:15 Some manuscripts have “to convict every soul”
- Jude 1:16 Some manuscripts have “their own”
- Jude 1:16 Literally “respecting faces for the sake of advantage”
- Jude 1:18 Some manuscripts have “to you that”
- Jude 1:20 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“building up”) which is understood as means
- Jude 1:20 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“praying”) which is understood as means
- Jude 1:23 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“snatching”) which is understood as means
- Jude 1:24 Or “without blemish”
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