1 J udas, of Jesus Christ a servant, and brother of James, to those sanctified in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ kept -- called,

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 k indness to you, and peace, and love, be multiplied!

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

3 B eloved, all diligence using to write to you concerning the common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, exhorting to agonize for the faith once delivered to the saints,

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 f or there did come in unobserved certain men, long ago having been written beforehand to this judgment, impious, the grace of our God perverting to lasciviousness, and our only Master, God, and Lord -- Jesus Christ -- denying,

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 a nd to remind you I intend, you knowing once this, that the Lord, a people out of the land of Egypt having saved, again those who did not believe did destroy;

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 m essengers also, those who did not keep their own principality, but did leave their proper dwelling, to a judgment of a great day, in bonds everlasting, under darkness He hath kept,

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 a s Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, having given themselves to whoredom, and gone after other flesh, have been set before -- an example, of fire age-during, justice suffering.

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 like manner, nevertheless, those dreaming also the flesh indeed do defile, and lordship they put away, and dignities they speak evil of,

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 y et Michael, the chief messenger, when, with the devil contending, he was disputing about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring up an evil-speaking judgment, but said, `The Lord rebuke thee!'

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 a nd these, as many things indeed as they have not known, they speak evil of; and as many things as naturally (as the irrational beasts) they understand, in these they are corrupted;

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 w o to them! because in the way of Cain they did go on, and to the deceit of Balaam for reward they did rush, and in the gainsaying of Korah they did perish.

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 T hese are in your love-feasts craggy rocks; feasting together with you, without fear shepherding themselves; clouds without water, by winds carried about; trees autumnal, without fruit, twice dead, rooted up;

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 w ild waves of a sea, foaming out their own shames; stars going astray, to whom the gloom of the darkness to the age hath been kept.

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 A nd prophesy also to these did the seventh from Adam -- Enoch -- saying, `Lo, the Lord did come in His saintly myriads,

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 t o do judgment against all, and to convict all their impious ones, concerning all their works of impiety that they did impiously, and concerning all the stiff things that speak against Him did impious sinners.'

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 are murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and their mouth doth speak great swellings, giving admiration to persons for the sake of profit;

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 a nd ye, beloved, remember ye the sayings spoken before by the apostles 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 hat they said to you, that in the last time there shall be scoffers, after their own desires of impieties going on,

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

19 t hese are those setting themselves apart, natural men, the Spirit not having.

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 A nd ye, beloved, on your most holy faith building yourselves up, in the Holy Spirit praying,

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 y ourselves in the love of God keep ye, waiting for the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ -- to life age-during;

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 a nd to some be kind, judging thoroughly,

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

23 a nd some in fear save ye, out of the fire snatching, hating even the coat from the flesh spotted.

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 A nd to Him who is able to guard you not stumbling, and to set in the presence of His glory unblemished, in gladness,

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 t o the only wise God our Saviour, glory and greatness, power and authority, both now and to all the ages! Amen.

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).