Jude 1
1 Jude, a bondman of Jesus Christ and brother of James, addressing those who have been called and are highly regarded by Heavenly Father and protected by Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace and charity be multiplied unto you.
3 Beloved ones, in making time to write to you celebrating the salvation that we share, I felt the need to write to you first to encourage you to exert yourselves to defend the covenantal faith as it was originally delivered to the holy followers of Christ. 4 For certain people have secretly slipped into our church. These people have long ago been forewarned of God’s judgment. They are attempting to change our words about God’s holy covenantal bond into permission for indecency and sexual immorality, and they deny our only lord and master Jesus Christ.
5 So I want you all to recall how the Lord once rescued the people out of the land of Egypt, but then he later destroyed those who were not faithful. 6 And likewise those angels, who kept not their first estate and who ignored their assigned responsibilities and abandoned their own habitations, have been held by God in everlasting chains and in darkness until his great day of judgment. 7 Indeed, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities surrounding them who similarly committed immoral homosexual acts have been set forth as an example of the punishment of eternal fire that awaits those who do 8 likewise, acting like filthy dreamers who defile the human body, reject religious authority, and speak blasphemously of glorious heavenly beings.
9 Yet even the archangel Michael—when he was arguing with the devil over who had the right to possess the body of Moses—did not dare to accuse Satan of blasphemy, but simply said, “May the Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these dreamers who are among you indeed speak blasphemously about things they do not know, thinking only physically, as irrational animals, and thereby in those things they corrupt and destroy themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have followed the way of Cain; and for money and gain they have devoted themselves to the error of Balaam and shall perish as in the strife of Core.
12 These are like hazardous reefs in your charitable meals; when they feast with you, they fearlessly care only for themselves. They are like waterless clouds blown around by the winds. They are like withering fruitless barren trees, and they will die a second time as they are torn out by their roots. 13 They are like raging waves of the sea, spuing out their own shamefulness; they are shooting stars, for whom the mists of darkness are kept for the eternities.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh descendant from Adam, prophesied of these individuals, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousand saints 15 to execute judgment against all the wicked and to convincingly expose every ungodly person, along with all the ungodly deeds they have wrongfully committed and with all the harsh words that those ungodly sinners have babbled against Him. 16 They are murmurers, faultfinders, living according to their own desires; their mouths talk big, and they admire those around them in order to get gain.
17 But, beloved ones, you remember the words that have been declared by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and 18 how they tried to tell you that there would be deceivers in the last time, living according to their own desires of ungodly thoughts and deeds. 19 These are they who cause divisions, who are sensual, natural men and women, and lack the Spirit. 20 And you, beloved ones, build up yourselves upon the foundation of your most sacred covenant of faithfulness, pray as you are guided by the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the pure love of God, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, all of which will lead you into eternal life.
22 Show love to those who are struggling alone or are confused and feeling estranged. 23 Save others by snatching them out of the fire and reject especially any robe that is defiled by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and able to make you flawless with great joy in the presence of his celestial glory, 25 let there be given glory, eternal praise, honor, strength, and authority to the only God, through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, from all past eternity, and now in the present, and on into the eternities. Truthfully, amen.
