Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. | 1This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. |
2May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. | 2May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. The Danger of False Teachers |
3Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. | 3Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. |
4For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. | 4I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. |
5Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; | 5So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. |
6and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. | 6And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. |
7Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. | 7And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment. |
8In the same way these people--relying on their dreams--defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones. | 8In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. |
9Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses's body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" | 9But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) |
10But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct--like irrational animals--by these things they are destroyed. | 10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. |
11Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam's error for profit, and have perished in Korah's rebellion. | 11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion. |
12These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn--fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. | 12When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. |
13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever. | 13They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness. |
14It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: "Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones | 14Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones |
15to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him." | 15to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” |
16These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. | 16These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. A Call to Remain Faithful |
17But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. | 17But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. |
18They told you, "In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires." | 18They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. |
19These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit. | 19These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. |
20But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, | 20But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, |
21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. | 21and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. |
22Have mercy on those who waver; | 22And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. |
23save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. | 23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. A Prayer of Praise |
24Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, | 24Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. |
25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. | 25All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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