Christians Should Obey the Law

13 All of you must ·yield [obey; submit; be subject] to the government ·rulers [authorities]. [^LBecause; For] ·No one rules [^LThere is no authority] ·unless God has given him the power to rule [^Lexcept by/through God], and ·no one rules now without that power from God [^Lthose that exist are appointed/established by God]. ² So those who ·are against the government [rebel/resist the authority] are really ·against [resisting; opposing] what God has ·commanded [ordained; instituted]. And they will bring ·punishment [judgment] on themselves. ³ [^LFor] Those who do ·right [good] do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do ·wrong [evil] fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the ·rulers [^Lauthority]? Then do what is ·right [good], and they will ·praise [commend] you. ⁴ The ruler is God’s servant ·to help you [for your good]. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. ·He has the power to punish [^LFor he does not bear the sword in vain]; he is God’s servant ·to punish [an avenger for (God’s) wrath to] those who do wrong. ⁵ So you must ·yield [submit; be subject] to the government, not only because ·you might be punished [^Lof wrath], but because ·you know it is right [of (your) conscience].

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes. [^LBecause] Rulers are ·working for God [God’s servants/ministers] ·and give their time to [devoting themselves to] their work. ⁷ Pay everyone what you owe them: taxes to those you owe taxes, ·fees [tolls] to those you owe ·fees [tolls], ·respect [reverence; fear] to those you owe ·respect [reverence; fear], and honor to those you owe honor.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, who is from the ·family [^Lseed] of David [2 Sam. 7:12–16]. ·This is the Good News I preach [^L…according to my Gospel], ⁹ and I am suffering because of it to the point of being bound with chains like a criminal. But God’s ·teaching [message; word] is not in chains. ¹⁰ So I ·patiently accept [endure] all these troubles so that those whom God has chosen can ·have [receive; obtain] the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes ·glory that never ends [eternal glory].

¹¹ This ·teaching is true [saying/word is trustworthy; 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8; ^Cwhat follows may be an early Christian hymn]:

A Worker Pleasing to God

¹⁴ ·Continue teaching [^LRemind them of] these things, ·warning people [^Lsolemnly testifying/declaring] in God’s presence not to ·argue [quarrel] about words. It ·does not help anyone [is good for nothing], and it ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ ·Make every effort [Do your best; Be diligent] to ·give [present] yourself to God as the kind of person he will approve. Be a worker who ·is not ashamed [or will not be shamed] and who ·uses the true teaching in the right way [correctly handles the true message/word of truth; or holds carefully to the true message/word of truth]. ¹⁶ Stay away from ·foolish, useless talk [godless/irreverent chatter; 1 Tim. 1:3–4; 4:7; 6:20], because that will lead people ·further away from God [into even more ungodliness]. ¹⁷ Their evil teaching will spread like ·a sickness inside the body [^Lgangrene]. Hymenaeus [1 Tim. 1:20] and Philetus are like that [^Cprobably false teachers and opponents of Paul from Ephesus]. ¹⁸ They have ·left [strayed away from] the ·true teaching [truth], saying that the ·rising from the dead [resurrection] has already taken place, and so they are ·destroying [undermining; overturning] the faith of some people. ¹⁹ But God’s strong foundation continues to stand, ·sealed [inscribed; engraved] with these words: “The Lord knows those who belong to him [Num. 16:5],” and “Everyone who ·wants to belong to [^Lnames the name of] the Lord must ·stop doing wrong [^Lturn away from wickedess/injustice].”

²⁰ In a ·large house [wealthy household] there are not only ·things [vessels; dishes] made of gold and silver, but also ·things [vessels; dishes] made of wood and clay. Some things are used for ·special [honorable; noble] purposes, and others are made for ·ordinary [dishonorable; ignoble] jobs [^Csuch as garbage or excrement]. ²¹ All who make themselves clean from ·evil [^Lthese things; ^Cthe false teaching described in vv. 16–18] will be used for ·special [honorable; noble] purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, ready to do any good work.

¹ From Jude [Mark 6:3; Acts 1:14], a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah] and a brother of James [^Cthe half-brother of Jesus; James 1:1].

To all who have been ·called [chosen] by God. God the Father loves you, and you have been kept safe ·in [or for; or by] Jesus Christ:

² Mercy, peace, and love be yours ·richly [in abundance; more and more].

God Will Punish Sinners

³ ·Dear friends [Loved ones; Beloved], I ·wanted very much [or was making every effort; or was just about] to write you about ·the salvation we all share [our common salvation]. But I felt the need to write you about something else: I want to ·encourage [exhort; urge; appeal to] you to ·fight hard for [earnestly contend for; defend] the faith [^Cthe authentic gospel message] that was ·given [handed down to; entrusted to] the ·holy people of God [^Tsaints] once and for all time. ⁴ [^LFor] Some people have ·secretly entered [sneaked in; infiltrated; wormed their way into] your group [2 Pet. 2:1]. Long ago ·the prophets wrote about these people who will be judged guilty [their condemnation was written about/predetermined]. They are ·against God [ungodly] and have ·changed [perverted; distorted] the grace of our God [^Cwith its freedom from legalistic rules] into ·a reason for sexual sin [^Ldebauchery; licentiousness; immorality]. They also ·refuse to accept [deny; have turned against] our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ I want to remind you of some things you already know ·well [fully]: Remember that the Lord^[a] ·saved [rescued; delivered] his people by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. But later he destroyed all those who ·did not believe [were unfaithful]. ⁶ And remember the angels who did not keep their ·place of power [position of authority; ^Lown domain/rule] but left their proper ·home [dwelling place]. The Lord has kept these angels in ·darkness [gloom; ^Cthe nether world or underworld; the place of the dead], bound with everlasting chains, to be judged on the great day [^Cthe final day of judgment; 2 Pet. 2:4]. ⁷ Also remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [^Cdestroyed by God for their evil; Gen. 19; 2 Pet. 2:6] and the other towns around them. In the same way they were full of sexual sin and people who ·desired sexual relations that God does not allow [pursued sexual perversion; ^Ldeparted after different flesh]. They suffer the punishment of eternal fire, as an ·example [warning] for all to see.

⁸ It is the same with these people [^Cthe false teachers; v. 4]. They are guided by dreams ·and make themselves filthy with sin [and live immoral lives/pollute their bodies; or to defile the flesh]. They ·reject [despise] ·God’s authority [^Lauthority] and ·speak against [insult; slander; blaspheme] ·the angels [celestial beings; ^Lglorious ones; 2 Pet. 2:10–11]. ⁹ Not even the archangel Michael [^Ca leader among God’s angels; Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Rev. 12:7], when he ·argued [contended] with the devil ·about who would have [^Labout] the body of Moses, dared to ·judge the devil guilty [^Lbring a slanderous/blasphemous judgment]. Instead, he said, “The Lord ·punish [rebuke] you [^Cprobably a story told in the Testament of Moses, a Jewish writing of the early first century ad].” ¹⁰ But these people ·speak against [slander; blaspheme] things they do not understand [2 Pet. 2:12]. And what they do know, ·by feeling [instinctively], like ·dumb [unreasoning; irrational] animals, are the very things that destroy them. ¹¹ ·It will be terrible for them [^LWoe to them!]. They have followed the way of Cain [^Cwho murdered his brother Abel; Gen. 4], and ·for money [because of greed; ^Lfor wages] they have ·given themselves [poured themselves out] to doing the ·wrong [error] that Balaam did [Num. 22—24; 2 Pet. 2:15–16]. ·They have rebelled against God as Korah did, and like Korah, they surely will be destroyed [^LIn the rebellion of Korah, they were destroyed; Num. 16]. ¹² They are like ·dirty spots [blemishes; or dangerous hidden reefs/rocks] in your ·special Christian meals you share [fellowship meals; love feasts]. They eat with you and have no ·fear [qualms; or shame], ·caring only for themselves [or shepherds feeding themselves]. They are clouds without ·rain [^Lwater], which the wind blows around [2 Pet. 2:17]. They are autumn trees without fruit that are ·pulled out of the ground [uprooted]. So they are twice dead [^Cbecause they are both barren and uprooted; or perhaps a reference to both the physical and spiritual death of the false teachers]. ¹³ They are like wild waves of the sea, ·tossing up their own shameful actions like foam [^Lfoaming up their own shame]. They are like ·stars that wander in the sky [^Cperhaps a reference to planets, whose variable positions, unlike those of the stars, provide mariners no guidance]. A place in the ·blackest darkness [^Lgloom of darkness; v. 7] has been kept for them forever [2 Pet. 2:17].

¹⁴ Enoch, the seventh descendant from Adam [^Ccounting Adam first; Gen. 5:18–24], ·said [^Lprophesied] about these people: “·Look [^TBehold], the Lord is coming with many thousands of his ·holy angels [^Lholy ones] to ¹⁵ judge every person. He is coming to ·punish [convict] ·all [every person/soul] who are against God for all ·the evil they have done against him [^Ltheir ungodly deeds committed in an ungodly manner]. And he will punish the ·sinners who are against God [ungodly sinners] for all the ·evil [harsh/defiant words; insults] they have said against him.” [^CJude appears to be quoting here from the nonbiblical Jewish book of 1 Enoch (1:9), although he may be drawing generally from Jewish tradition.]

¹⁶ These people ·complain and blame others [are grumblers and fault-finders], ·doing the evil things they want to do [^Lpursuing their own desires/lusts]. ·They brag about themselves [^LTheir mouths speak boastful words], and they ·flatter [impress; astound] others ·to get what they want [to gain an advantage; ^Lfor the sake of gain].

A Warning and Things to Do

¹⁷ [^LBut you] ·Dear friends [Beloved], remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ ·said before [predicted; prophesied; foretold; 2 Pet. 3:2]. ¹⁸ [^LFor] They said to you, “In the ·last times [end time] there will be ·people who laugh about God [scoffers; mockers], ·following [pursuing] their own ·evil [ungodly] ·desires [passions; lusts; 2 Pet. 3:3].” ¹⁹ These are the people who ·divide you [cause divisions], people ·whose thoughts are only of this world [who are worldly; or who live by natural instincts/desires], who do not have the Spirit [^Cliving within them and guiding them].

²⁰ But [^Lyou] ·dear friends [beloved], ·use your most holy faith to build yourselves up [or build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith; ^Cthe whole body of true Christian doctrine and practice], praying ·in [in dependence on; or as directed by; or according to the will of] the Holy Spirit. ²¹ Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ ·to give you [that leads to] ·life forever [eternal life].

²² Show mercy to ·some people who have doubts [those who waver; ^Cin their faith]. ²³ ·Take others out of the fire, and save them [^LSave/Rescue others by snatching them from the fire; ^Cfire represents judgment]. Show mercy mixed with fear to others [^Cfear inspired by God’s righteous judgment against sin], hating even their clothes which are ·dirty from sin [^Lstained by the sinful nature/flesh].

Praise God

²⁴ ·God is strong and can [^LNow to the one who is able to] ·help you not to fall [keep/guard you from falling/stumbling]. ·He can bring you [^L…and to present you] before his ·glory [glorious presence] ·without any wrong in you [faultless; blameless; spotless] and ·can give you great joy [with gladness/jubilation/rejoicing]. ²⁵ To the only God, ·the One who saves us [^Lour Savior], be glory, ·greatness [majesty], ·power [might], and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all ·time past [the ages], now, and forever. Amen.