The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open^(A) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^(B) is called Faithful and True.^(C) With justice he judges and wages war.^{(D) 12} His eyes are like blazing fire,^(E) and on his head are many crowns.^(F) He has a name written on him^(G) that no one knows but he himself.^{(H) 13} He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,^(I) and his name is the Word of God.^{(J) 14} The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,^(K) white^(L) and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword^(M) with which to strike down^(N) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a](O) He treads the winepress^(P) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^(Q)

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds^(S) flying in midair,^(T) “Come,^(U) gather together for the great supper of God,^{(V) 18} so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,^(W) free and slave,^(X) great and small.”^(Y)

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast^(Z) and the kings of the earth^(AA) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse^(AB) and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(AC) who had performed the signs^(AD) on its behalf.^(AE) With these signs he had deluded^(AF) those who had received the mark of the beast^(AG) and worshiped its image.^(AH) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(AI) of burning sulfur.^{(AJ) 21} The rest were killed with the sword^(AK) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,^(AL) and all the birds^(AM) gorged themselves on their flesh.

¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time^(A)—God, the blessed^(B) and only Ruler,^(C) the King of kings and Lord of lords,^(D)

⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.^(A)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(A) a royal priesthood,^(B) a holy nation,^(C) God’s special possession,^(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^(E)

¹ Jude,^(A) a servant of Jesus Christ^(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,^(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for^[a] Jesus Christ:^(D)

² Mercy, peace^(E) and love be yours in abundance.^(F)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

³ Dear friends,^(G) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,^(H) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend^(I) for the faith^(J) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.^{(K) 4} For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(L) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(M)

⁵ Though you already know all this,^(N) I want to remind you^(O) that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^{(P) 6} And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.^{(Q) 7} In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah^(R) and the surrounding towns^(S) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.^(T)

⁸ In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.^{(U) 9} But even the archangel^(V) Michael,^(W) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,^(X) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”^{[d](Y) 10} Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.^(Z)

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

¹² These people are blemishes at your love feasts,^(AD) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.^(AE) They are clouds without rain,^(AF) blown along by the wind;^(AG) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted^(AH)—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea,^(AI) foaming up their shame;^(AJ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.^(AK)

¹⁴ Enoch,^(AL) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(AM) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^{(AN) 15} to judge^(AO) 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.”^{[e](AP) 16} These people are grumblers^(AQ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(AR) they boast^(AS) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

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

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

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

Doxology

²⁴ To him who is able^(BF) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence^(BG) without fault^(BH) and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God^(BI) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!^(BJ) Amen.^(BK)