1 T his letter is from Jude, a brother of James. I am a servant owned by Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who have been chosen by God the Father. You are kept for Jesus Christ.

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and brother of James, to those who are called (chosen), dearly loved by God the Father and separated (set apart) and kept for Jesus Christ:

2 M ay you have much of God’s loving-kindness and peace and love.

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

3 D ear friends, I have been trying to write to you about what God did for us when He saved us from the punishment of sin. Now I must write to you and tell you to fight hard for the faith which was once and for all given to the holy people of God.

Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints '> verbally to the holy people of God].

4 S ome sinful men have come into your church without anyone knowing it. They are living in sin and they speak of the loving-favor of God to cover up their sins. They have turned against our only Leader and Lord, Jesus Christ. Long ago it was written that these people would die in their sins.

For certain men have crept in stealthily '> gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

5 Y ou already know all this, but think about it again. The Lord saved His people out of the land of Egypt. Later He destroyed all those who did not put their trust in Him.

Now I want to remind you, though you were fully informed once for all, that though the Lord delivered a people out of the land of Egypt, He subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

6 A ngels who did not stay in their place of power, but left the place where they were given to stay, are chained in a dark place. They will be there until the day they stand before God to be judged.

And angels who did not keep (care for, guard, and hold to) their own first place of power but abandoned their proper dwelling place—these He has reserved in custody in eternal chains (bonds) under the thick gloom of utter darkness until the judgment and doom of the great day.

7 D o you remember about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them? The people in those cities did the same things. They were full of sex sins and strong desires for sinful acts of the body. Those cities were destroyed by fire. They still speak to us of the fire of hell that lasts forever. What False Teachers Are Like

just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent towns—which likewise gave themselves over to impurity and indulged in unnatural vice and sensual perversity—are laid out as an exhibit of perpetual punishment of everlasting fire.

8 I n the same way, these men go on dreaming and sinning against their bodies. They respect no leaders. They speak bad against those who live in the heavens.

Nevertheless in like manner, these dreamers also corrupt the body, scorn and reject authority and government, and revile and libel and scoff at glories (the glorious ones).

9 M ichael was one of the head angels. He argued with the devil about the body of Moses. But Michael would not speak sharp words to the devil, saying he was guilty. He said, “The Lord speaks sharp words to you.”

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, judicially argued (disputed) about the body of Moses, he dared not bring an abusive condemnation against him, but said, The Lord rebuke you!

10 B ut these men speak against things they do not understand. They are like animals in the way they act. By these things they destroy themselves.

But these men revile (scoff and sneer at) anything they do not happen to be acquainted with and do not understand; and whatever they do understand physically, like irrational beasts—by these they corrupt themselves and are destroyed (perish).

11 I t is bad for them! They have followed the way of Cain who killed his brother. They have chosen the way of Balaam and think only about making money. They were destroyed as Korah was destroyed who would not show respect to leaders.

Woe to them! For they have run riotously in the way of Cain, and have abandoned themselves for the sake of gain the error of Balaam, and have perished in rebellion of Korah!

12 W hen you come together to eat the Christians’ love suppers, these people are like hidden rocks that wreck a ship. They only think of themselves. They are like clouds without rain carried along by the wind and like trees without fruit in the fall of the year. They are pulled out by the roots and are dead now and never can live again.

These are hidden reefs (elements of danger) in your love feasts, where they boldly feast sumptuously, without scruples providing for themselves. They are clouds without water, swept along by the winds; trees, without fruit at the late autumn gathering time—twice (doubly) dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 T hey are like the waves of a wild sea. Their sins are like the dirty water along the shore. They look like stars moving here and there. But the darkest place has been kept for them forever.

Wild waves of the sea, flinging up the foam of their own shame and disgrace; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of eternal darkness has been reserved forever.

14 E noch was the head of the seventh family born after Adam. He said this about such people, “The Lord comes with many thousands of His holy ones.

It was of these people, moreover, that Enoch in the seventh from Adam prophesied when he said, Behold, the Lord comes with His myriads of holy ones (ten thousands of His saints)

15 H e comes to say that all are guilty for all the sin they have done and all the sinful things these sinners have spoken against God.”

To execute judgment upon all and to convict all the impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed ungodly, and of all the severe (abusive, jarring) things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

16 T hese men complain and are never happy with anything. They let their desires lead them into sin. When they talk about themselves, they make it sound as if they are great people. They show respect to people only to get something out of them.

These are inveterate murmurers (grumblers) who complain, going after their own desires; their talk is boastful and arrogant, admire men’s persons and pay people flattering compliments to gain advantage.

17 D ear friends, you must remember the words spoken by the missionaries of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

18 T hey said, “In the last days there will be men who will laugh at the truth and will be led by their own sinful desires.”

They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions.

19 T hey are men who will make trouble by dividing people into groups against each other. Their minds are on the things of the world because they do not have the Holy Spirit.

It is these who are setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual, devoid of the Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life.

20 D ear friends, you must become strong in your most holy faith. Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you pray.

But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith '> make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

21 K eep yourselves in the love of God. Wait for life that lasts forever through the loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)— unto life eternal.

22 H ave loving-kindness for those who doubt.

And refute convict some who dispute with you, and on some have mercy who waver and doubt.

23 S ave some by pulling them out of the fire. Have loving-kindness for others but also fear them. Be afraid of being led into doing their sins. Hate even the clothes that have touched sinful bodies.

save others, snatching out of fire; on others take pity with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality.

24 T here is One Who can keep you from falling and can bring you before Himself free from all sin. He can give you great joy as you stand before Him in His shining-greatness.

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation —

25 H e is the only God. He is the One Who saves from the punishment of sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. May He have shining-greatness and honor and power and the right to do all things. He had this before the world began, He has it now, and He will have this forever. Let it be so.

To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).