Mimi Yuda, mtumishi wa Yesu Kristo, na ndugu yake Yakobo. Nawaandikia wale walioitwa na kupendwa na Mungu Baba na kulindwa na Yesu Kristo. Ninawatakieni rehema, amani na upendo tele.

Hukumu Ya Watu Wasiomcha Mungu

Wapendwa, ingawa nilikuwa na hamu kubwa kuwaandikieni kuhusu wokovu wetu, nimeona ni muhimu niwaandikieni nikiwasihi mwendelee kuipigania kwa nguvu imani ambayo Mungu amewakabidhi watakatifu mara moja tu kwa wakati wote. Hii ni kwa sababu watu wasiomcha Mungu ambao tangu zamani wamekwisha kuandikiwa hukumu hii, wamejiingiza miongoni mwenu kwa siri. Hawa ni watu ambao wanapotosha neema ya Mungu wetu na kuitumia kama kisingizio cha kutenda maovu. Wao wanamkana Yesu Kristo ambaye pekee ndiye Mkuu na Bwana wetu.

Sasa nataka kuwakumbusha jambo ambalo tayari mnalijua: kwamba, Bwana aliwaokoa watu wake kutoka Misri, lakini baadaye akawaangamiza wale ambao hawakuamini. Na malaika ambao hawaku tunza madaraka yao wakaacha maskani yao halisi; hao amewafungia gizani kwa minyororo ya milele hadi wahukumiwe katika siku ile kuu. Vivyo hivyo watu wa Sodoma na Gomora na miji ya kando kando yake ambao hali kadhalika walifanya uasherati na kujifurah isha katika matendo yaliyo kinyume cha maumbile, waliadhibiwa kwa moto wa milele kama fundisho kwa watu wote.

Ndivyo walivyo hawa watu. Ndoto zao huwaongoza wachafue miili yao, wasitii mamlaka; na watukane viumbe watakatifu walioko mbinguni. Lakini hata Mikaeli, malaika mkuu, aliposhindana na shetani kuhusu mwili wa Musa, hakuthubutu kutamka hukumu juu ya shetani, bali alisema, “Bwana akukemee!” 10 Lakini hawa watu hushutumu cho chote wasichokielewa; na yale mambo wanayotambua kwa asili, kama wanyama ambao hawawezi kujizuia kwa kutumia fikira, hayo ndio yanayowaangamiza. 11 Ole wao! Kwa maana watu hao wamefuata mfano wa Kaini, na kama Balaamu wako tayari kufanya lo lote kwa ajili ya fedha; na kama Kora wamejiangamiza wenyewe kwa kumwasi Mungu.

12 Watu hawa ni madoa katika karamu zenu za ushirika. Wanak ula nanyi bila kuwa na kiasi, wakicheka na kujishibisha na kunywa bila kujali wengine. Wao ni kama mawingu yanayochukuliwa na upepo huku na huku pasipo kuleta mvua; ni kama miti ya kiangazi iliy opukutika bila kuwa na matunda, ambayo imekufa kabisa na kung’olewa pamoja na mizizi yake. 13 Matendo yao ya aibu ni dha hiri kama vile mapovu ya mawimbi ya bahari. Wao ni kama nyota zinazotangatanga, na mahali pao ni katika lile giza kuu ambalo Mungu amewawekea milele. 14 Henoki, ambaye alikuwa wa kizazi cha saba baada ya Adamu, alitoa unabii kuhusu watu hawa akasema, “Sikilizeni! Nilimwona Bwana akija na watakatifu wake maelfu kwa maelfu 15 kutoa hukumu kwa wote na kuwaadhibu wasiomcha Mungu, kwa ajili ya matendo yao maovu waliyoyatenda na kwa ajili ya maneno makali ambayo hao waovu wasiomcha Mungu walisema juu yake.”

16 Watu hawa ni wanung’unikaji, wakaidi, wenye kufuata tamaa zao, wenye majivuno, wenye kujigamba na ambao huwasifu watu wen gine ili mambo yao yafanikiwe.

Maonyo Na Maagizo

17 Lakini ninyi wapendwa, kumbukeni yale mliyoambiwa na mitume wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo kwamba yatatokea. 18 Waliwaam bieni kwamba, “Katika siku za mwisho, watatokea watu watakaowad hihaki , watu wafuatao tamaa zao mbaya.” 19 Watu hawa ndio wanaosababisha mafarakano, watu wafuatao tamaa za dunia, wasio na Roho wa Mungu. 20 Lakini ninyi wapendwa, jengeni maisha yenu juu ya imani yenu takatifu; ombeni katika nguvu na uweza wa Roho Mtakatifu. 21 Jitunzeni katika upendo wa Mungu; ngojeeni rehema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo itakayowafikisha kwenye uzima wa milele. 22 Wavuteni wale wenye mashaka. 23 Okoeni wengine kwa kuwany akua kutoka katika moto; wengine wahurumieni, lakini mwogope, mkichukia hata mavazi yao yaliyochafuliwa kwa tamaa zao za dhambi.

24 Basi, utukufu ni wake yeye awezaye kuwalinda msianguke na kuwafikisheni bila hatia mbele ya utukufu wake mkiwa na furaha.

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)

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

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

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) 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)

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) 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) 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)

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) 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)

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Or by; or in
  2. Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
  3. Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
  4. Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
  5. Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
  6. Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.