Greeting to the Called

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

To those who are (B)called, [a]sanctified by God the Father, and (C)preserved in Jesus Christ:

Mercy, (D)peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you (E)concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting (F)you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord [b]God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that (G)the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their [c]proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as (H)Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the [d]vengeance of eternal fire.

(I)Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and (J)speak evil of [e]dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in [f]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, (K)“The Lord rebuke you!” 10 (L)But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way (M)of Cain, (N)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished (O)in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are [g]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried [h]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 (P)raging waves of the sea, (Q)foaming up their own shame; wandering stars (R)for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the (S)harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they (T)mouth great swelling words, (U)flattering people to gain advantage. 17 (V)But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that (W)there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are [i]sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God

20 But you, beloved, (X)building yourselves up on your most holy faith, (Y)praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, (Z)looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, [j]making a distinction; 23 but (AA)others save [k]with fear, (AB)pulling them out of the [l]fire, hating even (AC)the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God

24 (AD)Now to Him who is able to keep [m]you from stumbling,
And (AE)to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To [n]God our Savior,
[o]Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and [p]power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 NU beloved
  2. Jude 1:4 NU omits God
  3. Jude 1:6 own
  4. Jude 1:7 punishment
  5. Jude 1:8 glorious ones, lit. glories
  6. Jude 1:9 arguing
  7. Jude 1:12 stains, or hidden reefs
  8. Jude 1:12 NU, M along
  9. Jude 1:19 soulish or worldly
  10. Jude 1:22 NU who are doubting (or making distinctions)
  11. Jude 1:23 NU omits with fear
  12. Jude 1:23 NU adds and on some have mercy with fear
  13. Jude 1:24 M them
  14. Jude 1:25 NU the only God our
  15. Jude 1:25 NU Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Be glory
  16. Jude 1:25 NU adds 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.

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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.