A Greeting from Jude 1Iude the seruaunt of Iesus Christe, the brother of Iames: To them which are called and sanctified in God the father, and preserued in Iesus Christe: 2Mercy vnto you, and peace and loue be multiplied. God’s Judgment on the Ungodly 3Beloued, when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation, it was nedeful for me to write vnto you, to exhorte you, that ye shoulde earnestly contende for the fayth which was once geuen vnto the saintes. 4For there are certayne vngodly men craftily crept in, which were before of olde ordeyned to this condemnation: They turne the grace of our God vnto wantonnesse, and denye God which is the only Lorde, and our Lorde Iesus Christe. 5My mynde is therfore to put you in remembraunce: forasmuch as ye once knowe this, howe that the Lorde, after that he had delyuered the people out of Egypt, destroyed the which afterward beleued not. 6The Angels also which kept not their first estate, but left their owne habitation, he hath reserued in euerlastyng chaynes vnder darkenesse, vnto the iudgement of the great day. 7Euen as Sodome and Gomorrhe, and the cities about them, which in lyke maner defiled them selues with fornication, and folowed straunge fleshe, are set foorth for an ensample, and suffer the payne of eternall fyre. 8Lykewyse, these beyng deceaued by dreames, defyle the flesh, despise rulers, and speake euyll of them that are in aucthoritie. 9Yet Michael the Archangel, when he stroue agaynst the deuyll, and disputed about the body of Moyses, durst not geue raylyng sentence, but sayde, the Lorde rebuke thee. 10But these speake euyl of those thinges which they knowe not: & what thinges they know naturally, as beastes which are without reason, in those thynges they corrupt them selues. 11Wo be vnto the, for they haue folowed the way of Cain, and are vtterly geuen to the errour of Balaam for lucres sake, and perishe in the gaynsaying of Core. 12These are spottes in your feastes of charitie, whe they feast with you, without al feare feedyng the selues: cloudes they are without water, caryed about of windes, corrupt trees, and without fruite, twise dead, and plucked vp by the rootes: 13They are the ragyng waues of the sea, fomyng out their owne shame: They are wandryng starres, to whom is reserued the mist of darknes for euer. 14Enoch the seuenth from Adam, prophesied before of such, saying: Beholde, the Lorde shall come with thousandes of saintes, 15To geue iudgement agaynst all men, and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them, of all their vngodly deedes, which they haue vngodly committed, and of all their cruel speakynges, which vngodly sinners haue spoken agaynst hym. 16These are murmurers, complayners, walkyng after their owne lustes, whose mouthes speake proude thynges. They haue men in great reuerence because of aduantage. A Call to Persevere 17But ye beloued, remember the wordes which were spoken before, of the Apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christe. 18Howe that they tolde you, that there shoulde be begilers in ye last tyme, which should walke after their owne vngodly lustes. 19These are makers of sectes, fleshlie, hauyng not the spirite. 20But ye dearely beloued, edifie your selues in your most holy fayth, praying in the holy ghost, 21And kepe your selues in the loue of God, lokyng for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christe, vnto eternall lyfe. 22And haue compassion of some, seperatyng them: 23And other saue with feare, pullyng them out of the fyre, and haue compassion on the other, and hate euen the garment spotted by the fleshe. Doxology 24Unto him that is able to kepe you free from sinne, and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with ioy, 25To God our sauiour, which only is wyse, be glorie, maiestie, dominion, and power, nowe and euer. Amen. |