1Jude,a bond-servantof JesusChrist,and brotherof James,To thosewho are the called,belovedin Godthe Father,and keptfor JesusChrist:2May mercyand peaceand lovebe multipliedto you.
3Beloved,while I was makingeveryeffortto writeyou aboutour commonsalvation,I feltthe necessityto writeto you appealingthat you contend earnestlyfor the faithwhich was once for allhanded downto the saints.4For certainpersonshave crept in unnoticed,thosewho were longbeforehand markedout for thiscondemnation,ungodly personswho turnthe graceof our Godinto licentiousnessand denyour onlyMasterand Lord,JesusChrist.
5NowI desireto remindyou, though you knowall thingsonce for all,that the Lord,after savinga peopleout of the landof Egypt,subsequentlydestroyedthosewho did not believe.6And angelswho did not keeptheir owndomain,but abandonedtheir properabode,He has keptin eternalbondsunderdarknessfor the judgmentof the greatday,7justas Sodomand Gomorrahand the citiesaroundthem, since they in the samewayas theseindulged in gross immoralityand wentafterstrangeflesh,are exhibitedas an examplein undergoingthe punishmentof eternalfire.
8Yetin the same waythese men,alsoby dreaming,defilethe flesh,and rejectauthority,and revileangelic majesties.9But Michaelthe archangel,whenhe disputedwith the deviland arguedaboutthe bodyof Moses,did not darepronounce againsthim a railingjudgment,but said,"The Lordrebukeyou!"10But these menrevilethe things whichthey do not understand;and the things whichthey knowby instinct,likeunreasoninganimals,by these thingsthey are destroyed.11Woeto them! For they have gonethe wayof Cain,and for paythey have rushed headlonginto the errorof Balaam,and perishedin the rebellionof Korah.12These are the menwho are hidden reefsin your love feastswhen they feastwith you without fear,caringfor themselves;cloudswithout water,carried alongby winds;autumntreeswithout fruit,doublydead,uprooted;13wildwavesof the sea,castingup their ownshamelike foam;wanderingstars,for whomthe blackdarknesshas been reservedforever.
14[It was] alsoabout thesemen [that] Enoch,[in] the seventh[generation] from Adam,prophesied,saying,"Behold,the Lordcamewith many thousandsof His holy ones,15to executejudgmentupon all,and to convictallthe ungodlyof alltheir ungodlydeedswhichthey have done in an ungodly way,and of allthe harsh thingswhichungodlysinnershave spokenagainstHim."16Theseare grumblers,finding fault,followingaftertheir [own] lusts;they speakarrogantly,flatteringpeoplefor the sakeof [gaining an] advantage.
17But you, beloved,ought to rememberthe wordsthat were spoken beforehandby the apostlesof our LordJesusChrist,18that they were sayingto you, "In the lasttimethere will be mockers,followingaftertheir ownungodlylusts."19Theseare the ones who cause divisions,worldly-minded,devoidof the Spirit.20But you, beloved,buildingyourselvesup on your mostholyfaith,prayingin the HolySpirit,21keepyourselvesin the loveof God,waiting anxiouslyfor the mercyof our LordJesusChristto eternallife.22And have mercyon some,who are doubting;23saveothers, snatchingthem out of the fire;and on somehave mercywith fear,hatingeventhe garmentpollutedby the flesh.
24Nowto Him who is ableto keepyou from stumbling,and to make you standin the presenceof His gloryblamelesswith great joy,25to the onlyGodour Savior,throughJesusChristour Lord,[be] glory,majesty,dominionand authority,beforealltimeand nowand forever.Amen.
