Jude

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¹From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. To those God has called. You are loved by God the Father and kept in Jesus Christ. ²May you have more and more mercy, peace, and love. ³Dear friends, I was trying hard to write to you about the salvation we share. But I felt I had to write and urge you to fight hard for the faith. God gave this faith to his people once for all time. ⁴For some men have sneaked in among you without being noticed. They are ungodly people. Long ago they were marked out to be judged. They twist the grace of our God into an excuse to live in immoral ways. And they deny Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. ⁵You already know all this. But I want to remind you. Jesus saved his people out of the land of Egypt. But later he destroyed those who did not believe.a ⁶And think of the angels who did not stay in their place of authority. They left their proper home. He has kept them in darkness, bound in chains that last forever. They are waiting for judgment on that great day. ⁷In the same way, think of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them. They gave themselves to sexual sin and went after strange flesh. They are shown as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. ⁸Yet these dreamers do the same thing. They make their bodies unclean. They reject authority. And they insult glorious beings. ⁹But even Michael the archangel did not do that. He argued with the devil about the body of Moses. But he did not dare to accuse him with insults. He said, "The Lord rebuke you!" ¹⁰But these men insult things they do not understand. They are like animals that cannot think. The very things they do by instinct will destroy them. ¹¹How terrible it will be for them! They have gone the way of Cain. They have rushed into Balaam's error to make money. They have perished in Korah's rebellion. ¹²These men are hidden rocks at your love feasts. They eat with you without shame, but they only take care of themselves. They are clouds with no rain, blown along by the wind. They are trees in autumn with no fruit. They are dead twice over, pulled up by the roots. ¹³They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame. They are wandering stars. The blackest darkness has been kept for them forever. ¹⁴Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also spoke for God about them. He said, "Look! The Lord is coming with many thousands of his holy ones. ¹⁵He is coming to judge everyone. He will prove all the ungodly guilty of every ungodly thing they did. He will judge every harsh word that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." ¹⁶These men grumble and complain. They follow their own evil desires. Their mouths pour out proud boasts. They flatter others to get what they want. ¹⁷But you, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen. ¹⁸They told you, "In the last times there will be mockers. They will follow their own ungodly desires." ¹⁹These are the people who split you apart. They follow the world. They do not have the Spirit. ²⁰But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in the Holy Spirit, as you ²¹keep yourselves in God's love. Do this as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. ²²Show mercy to those who doubt. ²³Save others by pulling them out of the fire. To still others, show mercy mixed with fear. Hate even the clothes stained by their sinful nature. ²⁴God is able to keep you from falling. He is able to bring you into his glorious presence without fault and with great joy. ²⁵He is the only God, our Savior. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord. May it be so before all time, and now, and forever. Amen.