Beginning

Greeting

¹ The elder:

To the elect^(A) lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not only I, but also all who 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 truth,^(G) in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. ⁵ So now I ask 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} This is love:^(I) that we walk according to his commands.^(J) This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.^[a]

⁷ Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.^(K) This is the deceiver and the antichrist.^{(L) 8} Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we^[b] 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 do not greet him; ¹¹ for the one who greets 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 use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy^(W) may be complete.

¹³ The children of your elect sister send you greetings.

Greeting

¹ The elder:^(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.^(B)

² Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health,^(C) just as your whole life is going well.^{[a] 3} For I was very glad when fellow believers came and testified^(D) to your fidelity to the truth—how you are walking in truth.^{(E) 4} I have no greater joy^(F) than this: to hear that my children^(G) are walking in truth.

Gaius Commended

⁵ Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers. ⁶ They have testified to your love before 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.^{[b](L) 8} Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can be coworkers with 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 our authority.^{(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 fellow believers, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

¹¹ Dear friend, 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} Everyone speaks well of Demetrius—even the truth itself. And we also speak well of 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.

¹⁵ Peace to you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

Greeting

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

To those who are the called,^(B) loved^[a](C) by God the Father and kept for 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, appealing to you to contend for the faith^(G) that was delivered^(H) to the saints once for all. ⁴ For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago,^[b](I) have come in by stealth;^(J) they are ungodly,^(K) turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying^(L) Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Apostates: Past and Present

⁵ Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus^[c] saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;^{(M) 6} and the angels^(N) who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. ⁷ Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah^(O) and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions,^[d] and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.^(P)

⁸ In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.^{(Q) 9} Yet when Michael^(R) the archangel^(S) was disputing with the devil^(T) in an argument about Moses’s^(U) body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain,^(V) have plunged into Balaam’s error^(W) for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.^(X)

The Apostates’ Doom

¹² These people are dangerous reefs^[e] at your love feasts^(Y) as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds;^(Z) trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. ¹³ They are 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 It was about these that Enoch,^(AD) in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones^{(AE) 15} to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly^(AF) concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.” ¹⁶ These people are discontented grumblers, living 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) living according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These people create divisions and are worldly,^(AK) not having the Spirit.

Exhortation and Benediction

²⁰ But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,^{(AL) 21} keep yourselves in the love of God,^(AM) waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. ²² Have mercy on those who waver; 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, without blemish^(AT) and with great joy, ²⁵ to the only^(AU) God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,^[f] be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time,^[g] now and forever. Amen.