Jude
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
1 Jude,[a] a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, who are beloved[b] in[c] God the Father and kept safe for[d] Jesus Christ:(A)
2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
Occasion of the Letter
3 Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once and for all handed on to the saints.(B) 4 For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into debauchery and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.[e](C)
Judgment on False Teachers
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, once and for all, that Jesus, who saved[f] a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.(D) 6 And the angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great day.(E) 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust,[g] serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.(F)
8 Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones.[h](G) 9 But when the archangel Michael disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander[i] against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”(H) 10 But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct. 11 Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain and perish in Korah’s rebellion.(I) 12 These are blots[j] on your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves.[k] They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted;(J) 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.(K)
14 It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming[l] with ten thousands of his holy ones,(L) 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly[m] of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their lusts;[n] their mouths utter bombastic nonsense, flattering people to their own advantage.(M)
Warnings and Exhortations
17 But you, beloved, must remember the words previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.”(N) 19 It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit;(O) 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to[o] eternal life.(P) 22 And have mercy on some who are wavering; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.[p](Q)
Benediction
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,(R) 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.(S)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Gk Judas
- 1 Other ancient authorities read sanctified
- 1 Or by
- 1 Or by
- 4 Or the only Master and our Lord Jesus Christ
- 5 Other ancient authorities read informed, that the Lord who once and for all saved
- 7 Gk went after other flesh
- 8 Or angels; Gk glories
- 9 Or condemnation for blasphemy
- 12 Or reefs
- 12 Or without fear. They are shepherds who care only for themselves
- 14 Gk came
- 15 Other ancient authorities read everyone
- 16 Other ancient authorities read their own lusts
- 21 Gk Christ to
- 23 Gk by the flesh
Jude
International Standard Version
Greetings
1 From: Jude, a servant of Jesus the Messiah,[a] and yet a brother of James.
To: Those who have been called, who are loved[b] by God the Father and kept safe by Jesus, the Messiah.[c]
2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance!
Warning about False Teachers
3 Dear friends, although I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write to you and urge you to continue your vigorous defense of the faith that was passed down to the saints once and for all. 4 For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Messiah.[d]
5 Now I want to remind you, even though you are fully aware of these things, that the Lord who once saved his people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 He has also held in eternal chains those angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their assigned place. They are held in deepest darkness for judgment on the great day.[e] 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them, which like them committed sexual sins and pursued homosexual activities,[f] serve as an example of the punishment of eternal fire.
8 In a similar way, these dreamers also defile their flesh, reject the Lord’s authority,[g] and slander his glorious beings. 9 Even the archangel Michael, when he argued with the Devil and fought over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him. Instead, he said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”[h] 10 Whatever these people do not understand, they slander. Like irrational animals, they are destroyed by the very things they know by instinct. 11 How terrible it will be for them! For they lived like Cain did[i], rushed headlong into Balaam’s error to make a profit, and destroyed themselves, as happened[j] in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These people are stains on your love feasts.[k] They feast with you without any sense of awe.[l] They are shepherds who care only for themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by the winds. They are autumn trees that are fruitless, totally[m] dead, and uprooted. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.
14 Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about these people when he said,
“Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy ones. 15 He will judge all people and convict everyone of all the ungodly things that they have done in such an ungodly way, including all the harsh things that these ungodly sinners have said about him.”[n]
16 These people are complainers and faultfinders, following their own desires. They say arrogant things and flatter people in order to take advantage of them.
Advice to the Readers
17 But you, dear friends, must remember the statements and predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[o] 18 They kept telling you, “In the last times there will be mockers, following their own ungodly desires.”[p] 19 These are the people who cause divisions. They are worldly, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit. Furthermore, continue to pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Remain in God’s love as you look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Messiah,[q] which brings eternal life. 22 Show mercy to those who have doubts. 23 Save others by snatching them from the fire. To others, show mercy with fear, hating even the clothes stained by their sinful lives.[r]
Final Prayer
24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand joyful and faultless in his glorious presence, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus the Messiah,[s] our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and for all eternity! Amen.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jude 1:1 Or Christ
- Jude 1:1 Other mss. read sanctified
- Jude 1:1 Or Christ
- Jude 1:4 Or Christ
- Jude 1:6 I.e. the day of judgment
- Jude 1:7 Lit. pursued other flesh
- Jude 1:8 Lit. reject dominions
- Jude 1:9 This incident is possibly based on The Assumption of Moses, an apocryphal Jewish writing.
- Jude 1:11 Lit. they followed Cain’s path
- Jude 1:11 The Gk. lacks as happened
- Jude 1:12 Some early Christians had a meal along with the Lord’s Supper.
- Jude 1:12 Or without fear
- Jude 1:12 Lit. twice
- Jude 1:15 Cf. 1 Enoch 1:9 (The Apocrypha)
- Jude 1:17 Or Christ
- Jude 1:18 Cf. 2 Peter 3:3
- Jude 1:21 Or Christ
- Jude 1:23 Lit. by their flesh
- Jude 1:25 Or Christ
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
