The Letter of Jude
1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James, to
those of God's selection who have been made holy by God the
Father and are kept safe for Jesus Christ:
1:2 May mercy and peace and love be increased in you.
1:3 My loved ones, while my thoughts were full of a letter which
I was going to send you about our common salvation, it was
necessary for me to send you one requesting you with all my
heart to go on fighting strongly for the faith which has been
given to the saints once and for ever.
1:4 For certain men have come among you secretly, marked out
before in the holy Writings for this evil fate, men without the
fear of God, turning his grace into an unclean thing, and false
to our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
1:5 Now it is my purpose to put you in mind, though you once had
knowledge of all these things, of how the Lord, having taken a
people safely out of Egypt, later sent destruction on those who
had no faith;
1:6 And the angels who did not keep to their kingdom but went
out from the place which was theirs, he has put in eternal
chains and in dark night till the great day of the judging.
1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the towns near them, having
like these, given themselves up to unclean desires and gone
after strange flesh, have been made an example, undergoing the
punishment of eternal fire.
1:8 In the same way these dreamers make the flesh unclean,
having no respect for authorities, and say evil of rulers.
1:9 Now when Michael, one of the chief angels, was fighting
against the Evil One for the body of Moses, fearing to make use
of violent words against him, he only said, May the Lord be
your judge.
1:10 But these men say evil about such things as they have no
knowledge of; and the things of which they have natural
knowledge, like beasts without reason, are the cause of their
destruction.
1:11 A curse on them! They have gone in the way of Cain, running
uncontrolled into the error of Balaam for reward, and have come
to destruction by saying evil against the Lord, like Korah.
1:12 These men are unseen rocks at your love-feasts, when they
take part in them with you, keepers of sheep who without fear
take the food of the sheep; clouds without water rushing before
the wind, wasted trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by
the roots,
1:13 Violent waves of the sea, streaming with their shame,
wandering stars for whom the darkest night is kept in store for
ever.
1:14 The prophet Enoch, who was the seventh after Adam, said of
these men, The Lord came with tens of thousands of his saints,
1:15 To be the judge of all, and to give a decision against all
those whose lives are unpleasing to him, because of the evil
acts which they have done, and because of all the hard things
which sinners without fear of God have said against him.
1:16 These are the men who make trouble, ever desiring change,
going after evil pleasures, using high-sounding words,
respecting men's position in the hope of reward.
1:17 But you, my loved ones, keep in memory the words which were
said before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1:18 How they said to you, In the last days there will be men
who, guided by their evil desires, will make sport of holy
things.
1:19 These are the men who make divisions, natural men, not
having the Spirit.
1:20 But you, my loved ones, building yourselves up on your most
holy faith, and making prayers in the Holy Spirit,
1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for life
eternal through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:22 And have pity on those who are in doubt;
1:23 And to some give salvation, pulling them out of the fire;
and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the clothing
which is made unclean by the flesh.
1:24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to
give you a place in his glory, free from all evil, with great
joy,
1:25 To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before
all time and now and for ever. So be it.