Greeting
1
Jude, a servanta of Jesus Christ and brother of James, 1To those who are called, 2beloved in God the Father and 3kept forb Jesus Christ:
Judgment on False Teachers
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Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our 6common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you 7to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
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For 8certain people 9have crept in unnoticed 10who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert 11the grace of our God into sensuality and 12deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
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Now I want 13to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that 14Jesus, who savedc a people out of the land of Egypt, 15afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
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And 16the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day--
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just as 17Sodom and Gomorrah and 18the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and 19pursued unnatural desire,d serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
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Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and 20blaspheme the glorious ones.
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But when 21the archangel 22Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing 23about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, 24"The Lord rebuke you."
10
25But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.
11
Woe to them! For they walked in 26the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain 27to Balaam's error and 28perished in Korah's rebellion.
12
These are hidden reefse29 at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, 30shepherds feeding themselves; 31waterless clouds, 32swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, 33uprooted;
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34wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of 35their own shame; 36wandering stars, 37for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
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It was also about these that Enoch, 38the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, 39"Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
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40to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have 41committed in such an ungodly way, and of all 42the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
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These are grumblers, malcontents, 43following their own sinful desires; 44they are loud-mouthed boasters, 45showing favoritism to gain advantage.
A Call to Persevere
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But you must 46remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Theyf said to you, 47"In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."
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It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, 48devoid of the Spirit.
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But you, beloved, 49building yourselves up in your most holy faith and 50praying in the Holy Spirit,
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51keep yourselves in the love of God, 52waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
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And have mercy on those who doubt;
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save others by 53snatching them out of 54the fire; to others show mercy 55with fear, hating even 56the garmentg stained by the flesh.
Doxology
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)