Judas 1

(Writer: Jude) (65 C.E.) (Possibly Palestine)

¹ Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

² Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

³ Beloved, I diligently wrote you about our common salvation. I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the holy ones.

⁴ Certain men crept in unnoticed. They were appointed long ago for this condemnation. These ungodly men turned the grace of our God into loose conduct. They deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ I want to remind you though you once knew this, that Jehovah God, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

⁶ Angels who did not keep their position left their proper habitation. He has kept them in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

⁷ Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them are an example for they, in like manner with these surrendered to fornication and went after flesh for unnatural use. They received justice by ever burning fire.

⁸ In like manner these men also in their dreams defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of glorious ones.

⁹ Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil disputed about the body of Moses. He did not speak evil judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: »Jehovah rebukes you.« (Zechariah 3:2)

¹⁰ These men speak abusively about things they do not know. What they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, they corrupt themselves.

¹¹ Woe to them! They went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the rebellious talk of Korah.

¹² These men are hidden rocks in your love feasts when they feast entertain with you. They are shepherds that without fear feed themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by winds. They are autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.

¹³ They are wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, for which the black darkness has been reserved forever.

¹⁴ Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these, saying: »Behold, Jehovah came with many thousands of his holy ones.

¹⁵ »They execute judgment upon all. They convict all the ungodly of all their wicked behavior, deeds that they have committed in an irreverent way, and of all the hard things those detestable sinners have spoken against him.«

¹⁶ These murmur, complain, and walk after their lusts, they speak arrogantly, flattering people to gain advantage.

¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ They said to you: In the last time there will be mockers scoffers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.

¹⁹ These cause divisions; they are sensual worldly-minded persons not having the Spirit.

²⁰ You, beloved, build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

²¹ Stay in the love of God! Look wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for everlasting life.

²² Show mercy to some who have doubt.

²³ Save some, snatch them out of the fire. Have mercy on some with alarm. Hate even the garment defiled polluted by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish with exceeding joy.

²⁵ To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time, now, and for evermore, amen.