| Jude 1 1 Jude , a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James , To those who have been called , who are loved by God the Father and kept by[a ] Jesus Christ : 2 Mercy , peace and love be yours in abundance . The Sin and Doom of Godless Men 3 Dear friends , although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share , I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints . 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about[b ] long ago have secretly slipped in among you . They are godless men , who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord . 5 Though you already know all this , I want to remind you that the Lord[c ] delivered his people out of Egypt , but later destroyed those who did not believe . 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness , bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day . 7 In a similar way , Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion . They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire . 8 In the very same way , these dreamers pollute their own bodies , reject authority and slander celestial beings . 9 But even the archangel Michael , when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses , did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him , but said , “ The Lord rebuke you ! ” 10 Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand ; and what things they do understand by instinct , like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them . 11 Woe to them ! They have taken the way of Cain ; they have rushed for profit into Balaam 's error ; they have been destroyed in Korah 's rebellion . 12 These men are blemishes at your love feasts , eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves . They are clouds without rain , blown along by the wind ; autumn trees , without fruit and uprooted—twice dead . 13 They are wild waves of the sea , foaming up their shame ; wandering stars , for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever . 14 Enoch , the seventh from Adam , prophesied about these men : “ See , the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone , and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way , and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him . ” 16 These men are grumblers and faultfinders ; they follow their own evil desires ; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage . A Call to Persevere 17 But , dear friends , remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold . 18 They said to you , “ In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires . ” 19 These are the men who divide you , who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit . 20 But you , dear friends , build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit . 21 Keep yourselves in God 's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life . 22 Be merciful to those who doubt ; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them ; to others show mercy , mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh . Doxology 24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — 25 to the only God our Savior be glory , majesty , power and authority , through Jesus Christ our Lord , before all ages , now and forevermore ! Amen . |