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False teachers are trying to turn people away from God

1 This letter is from me, Jude. I am Jesus Christ's servant and I am James's brother. [ a ] I am writing to you people that God, the Father, loves. God has chosen you to be his own people. He is keeping you safe until the time when Jesus Christ returns.

2 I pray that God will be kind to you and that he will give you peace in your minds more and more. I want you to know more and more how much God loves you.

3 My friends, I wanted very much to write to you about how God has saved us from sin. That is what he has done for you and for us. But instead of that, I now know that I must write to you about something else. I must tell you to be strong and brave. You must do everything that you can to keep God's true message safe. God has given this message to his special people and his message will never change. Do not let anyone teach you a different message.

4 I say this because certain bad people have secretly come among you. They have turned away from God. They are trying to change God's true message. They teach that we can do any evil things that we want to do. They say that God will be kind and he will forgive us for all those things. They do not accept the authority of Jesus Christ, who is our only Master and our Lord. God will certainly punish those wicked people. A long time ago God said that he would punish people like them.

5 Remember that the Lord brought Israel's people out of Egypt where they had been slaves. But later he destroyed all those same people who did not trust him. [ b ] I want you to remember these important things. You should already know all about them, but you must never forget them. 6 Also remember that some angels refused to obey God. They took more authority for themselves than God had given them. They left their own proper place with God in heaven. [ c ] So God has tied them up as prisoners for ever in a completely dark place. He will keep them there until that great day when he will judge everyone.

7 Also, remember what happened to the cities called Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other cities that were near them. [ d ] Like those bad angels, the people who lived in those places were also doing evil things. They were having sex with people who were not their husbands or their wives. They liked to have sex in other ways that are not right. God destroyed their cities. He has punished them with fire that never stops burning. That is an example of what will happen to wicked people like them.

8 These false teachers who have come among you do the same kind of bad things. Their dreams deceive them so that they use their bodies to do disgusting things. They refuse to obey God's authority. They insult God's powerful angels. 9 Even the leader of God's angels, Michael, did not speak bad words like that against the Devil. Long ago, Michael argued with the Devil about who should have Moses' dead body. [ e ] But even when the Devil said bad words against God, Michael himself did not speak against the Devil. He did not think that he should do that. Instead, Michael said, ‘The Lord himself will show that you are wrong.’ 10 But these false teachers speak bad things against anything that they do not understand. They are like animals that cannot think properly. They just do the things that their nature causes them to do. Those are the things that are destroying them.

11 It will be terrible for them! They have lived in the way that Cain lived. [ f ] They have made the same mistake that Balaam made, because they wanted to get money for themselves. [ g ] Like Korah, they have refused to obey God. [ h ] So God will destroy them.

The false teachers are very dangerous

12 When you eat special meals together as believers, those false teachers meet with you. But they are dangerous! They will stop you showing your love for one another. They come only because they want to eat too much. They do not respect God or other people. They only think about themselves and they are not ashamed. They are like clouds that you think will bring rain. But the wind blows those clouds along and there is no rain. They are like trees that have no fruit, even at the time for harvest. People pull trees like that out of the ground. They are completely dead and can give no fruit. 13 Those false teachers are like water in the sea that the wind blows during a storm. The dirt that comes to the top of the water is like the disgusting things that those people do. They are like stars that have moved away from their proper places in the sky. God has prepared a completely dark place for them. God will keep them there for ever.

14 Long ago, Enoch also spoke about those false teachers. [ i ] Enoch belonged to the seventh family that was born, starting with Adam. He said, ‘Look, the Lord will come with many thousands of his own angels. 15 He will judge all people. He will punish everyone who lives in a way that does not please him. He will punish them because of all the wicked things that they have done. He will punish them because of all the bad words that they have spoken against him.’ [ j ] 16 Those people are always complaining. They like to accuse other people. They do any bad things that will make themselves happy. They speak great things about themselves, to show how important they are. They praise other people only so that they can get something good for themselves.

Christians must continue to trust God

17 But as for you, my friends, remember the message that the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ have taught you. They spoke about what would happen in future times. 18 They said to you, ‘In the last days of this world, some people will laugh at God's message. [ k ] They will say that it is silly to obey God. Instead, they will do the bad things that they want to do. Those things do not please God.’

19 It is people like this who cause you to argue with one another, so that you belong to separate groups. Their thoughts belong to this world. They do not have God's Spirit in them.

20 But you, my friends, have believed the message that comes from God himself. So you must help one another to trust God more and more. Pray to God with the help of the Holy Spirit. 21 Continue to live in a way that shows God's love. As you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come, remember that he is very kind. Because of that, you will have life with God for ever.

22 Help those people who do not know whether to trust God. Be kind to them. 23 Some people are in great danger. You must save them from the fire of God's punishment. [ l ] Also be kind to people who have done wicked and disgusting things. But be careful! Do not let their sins make you bad too.

Jude thanks God

24 God is able to keep you safe so that you continue to trust him. One day you will stand in front of him and you will be very happy. God will bring you to that place and you will be completely good. You will be able to stand near to God, who shines with beautiful light. 25 He is the only God. He is the one who saves us because of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we praise him! We say that he is very great! He rules with power and authority. This has always been true. It is true now, and it will be true for ever. Amen!

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Most people think that Jude (also called Judas) was Jesus' brother. James and Jude were two of Jesus' four brothers. See Mark 6:3 . James became a leader of the Christians at Jerusalem. See Galatians 1:19 ; 2:9 and Acts 15:13 . But, in his letter, Jude does not say that he was Jesus' brother. He thought about himself as Jesus' servant. Jesus became his Master. Jude wanted people to obey Jesus. He did not want people to think that he himself was very important.
  2. 1:5 Israel's people were slaves in Egypt. God saved them when Moses led them out from there. But as they travelled through the wilderness, most of them did not trust God. So they did not go into the land that God had promised them. Instead, they died before they arrived there. That is how God punished them. See Numbers 14:1-37 ; 26:64-65 .
  3. 1:6 Some of the angels in heaven thought that they were very important. So they stopped obeying God and they left heaven. See Genesis 6:1-4; Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:7-9 .
  4. 1:7 Jude uses Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of places where people did bad things. See Genesis 18:20 ; 19:1-29 .
  5. 1:9 Deuteronomy 34:5-6 tells us about when Moses died.
  6. 1:11 Cain killed his brother Abel. See Genesis 4:1-16 ; Hebrews 11:4 ; 1 John 3:12 .
  7. 1:11 Balaam caused Israel's people to do bad things. See Numbers 22—25 ; Deuteronomy 23:4-5 ; Revelation 2:14 .
  8. 1:11 Korah thought that he himself was very important. He thought that he knew better than Moses. He refused to obey what God had told Moses. See Numbers 16:1-35 .
  9. 1:14 Enoch was a man who lived many, many years ago. He lived in a good way that pleased God. See Genesis 5:3-18 , 24 .
  10. 1:15 These words that Enoch wrote are not in the Bible. Enoch wrote them in a book called ‘The Book of Enoch’.
  11. 1:18 ‘The last days of this world’ are the days before Jesus returns to the earth.
  12. 1:23 See Jude 1:7 .

1 Greetings from Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

To those who have been chosen and are loved by God the Father and have been kept safe in Jesus Christ.

2 Mercy, peace, and love be yours more and more.

God Will Punish Those Who Do Wrong

3 Dear friends, I wanted very much to write to you about the salvation we all share together. But I felt the need to write to you about something else: I want to encourage you to fight hard for the faith that God gave his holy people. God gave this faith once, and it is good for all time. 4 Some people have secretly entered your group. These people have already been judged guilty for what they are doing. Long ago the prophets wrote about them. They are against God. They have used the grace of our God in the wrong way—to do sinful things. They refuse to follow Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

5 I want to help you remember some things you already know: Remember that the Lord [ a ] saved his people by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. But later he destroyed all those who did not believe. 6 And remember the angels who lost their authority to rule. They left their proper home. So the Lord has kept them in darkness, bound with everlasting chains, to be judged on the great day. 7 Also, remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other towns around them. Like those angels they were full of sexual sin and involved themselves in sexual relations that are wrong. And they suffer the punishment of eternal fire, an example for us to see.

8 It is the same way with these people who have entered your group. They are guided by dreams. They make themselves dirty with sin. They reject God’s authority and say bad things against the glorious ones. [ b ] 9 Not even the archangel Michael did this. Michael argued with the devil about who would have the body of Moses. But Michael did not dare to condemn even the devil for his false accusations. Instead, Michael said, “The Lord punish you!”

10 But these people criticize things they don’t understand. They do understand some things. But they understand these things not by thinking, but by feeling, the way dumb animals understand things. And these are the things that destroy them. 11 It will be bad for them. They have followed the way that Cain went. To make money, they have given themselves to following the wrong way that Balaam went. They have fought against God like Korah [ c ] did. And like Korah, they will be destroyed.

12 These people are like dirty spots among you—they bring shame to you in the special meals you share together. They eat with you and have no fear. They take care of only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. The wind blows them around. They are like trees that have no fruit at harvest time and are pulled out of the ground. So they are twice dead. 13 Like the dirty foam on the wild waves in the sea, everyone can see the shameful things they do. They are like stars that wander in the sky. A place in the blackest darkness has been kept for them forever.

14 Enoch, the seventh descendant from Adam, said this about these people: “Look, the Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy angels 15 to judge everyone. He will punish all those who are against him for all the evil they have done in their lack of respect for him. Yes, the Lord will punish all these sinners who don’t honor him. He will punish them for all the evil things they have said against him.”

16 These people always complain and find wrong in others. They always do the evil things they want to do. They boast about themselves. The only reason they say good things about others is to get what they want.

A Warning and Things to Do

17 Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen. 18 They told you, “In the last times there will be people who laugh at God and do only what they want to do—things that are against God.” 19 These are the people who divide you. They are not spiritual, because they don’t have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.

22 Help those who have doubts. 23 Rescue those who are living in danger of hell’s fire. There are others you should treat with mercy, but be very careful that their filthy lives don’t rub off on you. [ d ]

Praise God

24 God is strong and can keep you from falling. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. 25 He is the only God, the one who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:5 the Lord Some of the oldest and best Greek manuscripts of Jude have “Jesus” here. If “Jesus” is accepted as the original reading, it should replace “the Lord” in verse 6 as well.
  2. Jude 1:8 the glorious ones Literally, “the glories.” These seem to be some kind of angelic beings.
  3. Jude 1:11 Korah He turned against Moses. See Num. 16:1-40.
  4. Jude 1:23 that … on you Literally, “hating even their undershirt that is defiled from the flesh.”

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

The Warnings of History to the Ungodly

1 [ a ] ( A ) Jude, a ( B ) bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of [ b ] James,

To ( C ) those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and ( D ) kept for Jesus Christ: 2 ( E ) May mercy, peace, and love ( F ) be multiplied to you.

3 ( G ) Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our ( H ) common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you ( I ) contend earnestly for ( J ) the faith that was once for all time ( K ) handed down to ( L ) the [ c ] saints. 4 For certain people have ( M ) crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand [ d ] ( N ) marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn ( O ) the grace of our God into ( P ) indecent behavior and ( Q ) deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I want to ( R ) remind you, though ( S ) you know everything once and for all, that [ e ] the Lord, ( T ) after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, [ f ] subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And ( U ) angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has ( V ) kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as ( W ) Sodom and Gomorrah and the ( X ) cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and ( Y ) went after [ g ] strange flesh, are exhibited as an [ h ] ( Z ) example in undergoing the ( AA ) punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, ( AB ) defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic [ i ] majesties. 9 But ( AC ) Michael ( AD ) the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about ( AE ) the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “ ( AF ) The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But ( AG ) these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and ( AH ) all the things that they know by instinct, ( AI ) like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone ( AJ ) the way of Cain, and for pay [ j ] they have given themselves up to ( AK ) the error of Balaam, and ( AL ) perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones who are [ k ] hidden reefs ( AM ) in your love feasts when they feast with you ( AN ) without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; ( AO ) clouds without water, ( AP ) carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, [ l ] doubly dead, ( AQ ) uprooted; 13 ( AR ) wild waves of the sea, churning up ( AS ) their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, ( AT ) for whom the [ m ] gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was also about these people that ( AU ) Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “ ( AV ) Behold, the Lord has come with [ n ] many thousands of His holy ones, 15 ( AW ) to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ( AX ) ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are ( AY ) grumblers, finding fault, ( AZ ) following after their own lusts; [ o ] they speak ( BA ) arrogantly, flattering people ( BB ) for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

17 But you, ( BC ) beloved, ( BD ) ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by ( BE ) the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “ ( BF ) In the last time there will be mockers, ( BG ) following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, [ p ] ( BH ) worldly-minded, [ q ] devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, ( BI ) beloved, ( BJ ) building yourselves up on your most holy ( BK ) faith, ( BL ) praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, ( BM ) looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, ( BN ) snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, ( BO ) hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

24 ( BP ) Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to ( BQ ) make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with ( BR ) great joy, 25 to the ( BS ) only ( BT ) God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, ( BU ) be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority ( BV ) before all time and now and [ r ] forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Gr Judas
  2. Jude 1:1 Or Jacob
  3. Jude 1:3 Lit holy ones ; i.e., God’s people
  4. Jude 1:4 Or written about regarding this
  5. Jude 1:5 One early ms Jesus
  6. Jude 1:5 Lit the second time
  7. Jude 1:7 Lit different ; or other flesh
  8. Jude 1:7 Or example of eternal fire, in undergoing punishment
  9. Jude 1:8 Lit glories
  10. Jude 1:11 Lit they have poured themselves out
  11. Jude 1:12 Or stains
  12. Jude 1:12 Lit twice
  13. Jude 1:13 Or netherworld gloom
  14. Jude 1:14 Lit His holy ten thousands
  15. Jude 1:16 Lit their mouth speaks
  16. Jude 1:19 Or merely natural
  17. Jude 1:19 Lit not having
  18. Jude 1:25 Lit to all the ages

1 Jude, ( A ) a servant of Jesus Christ ( B ) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, ( C ) who are loved in God the Father and kept for [ a ] Jesus Christ: ( D )

2 Mercy, peace ( E ) and love be yours in abundance. ( F )

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

3 Dear friends, ( G ) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, ( H ) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend ( I ) for the faith ( J ) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. ( K ) 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about [ b ] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. ( L ) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. ( M )

5 Though you already know all this, ( N ) I want to remind you ( O ) that the Lord [ c ] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. ( P ) 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. ( Q ) 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah ( R ) and the surrounding towns ( S ) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. ( T )

8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. ( U ) 9 But even the archangel ( V ) Michael, ( W ) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, ( X ) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” [ d ] ( Y ) 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. ( Z )

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; ( AA ) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; ( AB ) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. ( AC )

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, ( AD ) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. ( AE ) They are clouds without rain, ( AF ) blown along by the wind; ( AG ) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted ( AH ) —twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, ( AI ) foaming up their shame; ( AJ ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. ( AK )

14 Enoch, ( AL ) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming ( AM ) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones ( AN ) 15 to judge ( AO ) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” [ e ] ( AP ) 16 These people are grumblers ( AQ ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; ( AR ) they boast ( AS ) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles ( AT ) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. ( AU ) 18 They said to you, “In the last times ( AV ) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” ( AW ) 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. ( AX )

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up ( AY ) in your most holy faith ( AZ ) and praying in the Holy Spirit, ( BA ) 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait ( BB ) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. ( BC )

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; ( BD ) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. [ f ] ( BE )

Doxology

24 To him who is able ( BF ) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence ( BG ) without fault ( BH ) and with great joy— 25 to the only God ( BI ) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! ( BJ ) Amen. ( BK )

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Or by ; or in
  2. Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
  3. Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
  4. Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d. ).
  5. Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c. )
  6. Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.
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