Beginning

Greeting

The Elder:^[a]

To the elect^(A) lady^[b] and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth^(B)— ² because of the truth that remains in us^(C) and will be with us forever.

³ Grace, mercy, and peace^(D) will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son^(E) of the Father, in truth and love.^(F)

Truth and Deception

⁴ I was very glad to find some of your children walking in the truth,^(G) in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. ⁵ So now I urge you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.^{(H) 6} And this is love:^(I) that we walk according to His commands.^(J) This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.^[c]

⁷ Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.^[d](K) This is the deceiver and the antichrist.^{(L) 8} Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we^[e] have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.^{(M) 9} Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching^(N) but goes beyond it, does not have God.^(O) The one who remains^(P) in that teaching, this one has both the Father^(Q) and the Son.^{(R) 10} If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive^(S) him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” to him; ¹¹ for the one who says, “Welcome,” to him shares^(T) in his evil works.^(U)

Farewell

¹² Though I have many things to write to you,^(V) I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face^[f] so that our joy^(W) may be complete.

¹³ The children of your elect sister send you greetings.

Greeting

The Elder:^(A)

To my dear friend^[a] Gaius: I love you in the truth.^(B)

² Dear friend,^[b] I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically^(C) just as you are spiritually.^{[c] 3} For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified^(D) to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth.^{(E) 4} I have no greater joy^(F) than this: to hear that my children^(G) are walking in the truth.

Gaius Commended

⁵ Dear friend,^[d] you are showing faithfulness^[e] by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. ⁶ They have testified to your love in front of the church.^(H) You will do well to send them on their journey^(I) in a manner worthy of God,^{(J) 7} since they set out for the sake of the Name,^(K) accepting nothing from pagans.^{(L) 8} Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with^[f] the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹ I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them,^(M) does not receive us.^{(N) 10} This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering^(O) us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

¹¹ Dear friend,^[g] do not imitate what is evil,^(P) but what is good. The one who does good is of God;^(Q) the one who does evil has not seen God.^{(R) 12} Demetrius has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know^(S) that our testimony is true.^(T)

Farewell

¹³ I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.^[h]

Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

Greeting

Jude,^(A) a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:

To those who are the called,^(B) loved^[a](C) by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.^(D)

² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.^(E)

Jude’s Purpose in Writing

³ Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share,^(F) I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith^(G) that was delivered^(H) to the saints once for all. ⁴ For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago,^(I) have come in by stealth;^(J) they are ungodly,^(K) turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying^(L) Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Apostates: Past and Present

⁵ Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: The Lord^[b] first^[c] saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;^{(M) 6} and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, the angels^(N) who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. ⁷ In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah^(O) and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions,^[d] just as angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.^(P)

⁸ Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones.^{(Q) 9} Yet Michael^(R) the archangel,^(S) when he was disputing with the Devil^(T) in a debate about Moses’^(U) body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these people blaspheme anything they don’t understand. What they know by instinct like unreasoning animals—they destroy themselves with these things. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain,^(V) have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam^(W) for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.^(X)

The Apostates’ Doom

¹² These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs^[e] at your love feasts.^(Y) They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds;^(Z) trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; ¹³ wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars^(AA) for whom the blackness of darkness^(AB) is reserved forever!^(AC)

¹⁴ And Enoch,^(AD) in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them:

¹⁶ These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires;^(AG) their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering^(AH) people for their own advantage.

¹⁷ But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸ they told you, “In the end time^(AI) there will be scoffers^(AJ) walking according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These people create divisions and are unbelievers,^[h](AK) not having the Spirit.

Exhortation and Benediction

²⁰ But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit,^{(AL) 21} keep yourselves in the love of God,^(AM) expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. ²² Have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire;^(AN) have mercy on others but with fear,^(AO) hating^(AP) even the garment^(AQ) defiled by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to Him^(AR) who is able to protect you from stumbling^(AS) and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless^(AT) and with great joy, ²⁵ to the only^(AU) God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,^[i] be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time,^[j] now and forever. Amen.