OF JUDE
[1] JUDE,1 bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: [2] Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.
[3] Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write you of our common :salvation, I was constrained to write you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. [4] For certain men have crept in privily, who were of old written2 of beforehand unto this :condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our :God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Master and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
[5] Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed them that believed not. [6] And angels that kept not their own :principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto judgment of the great day. [7] Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example of eternal fire, suffering punishment.
[8] Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.3 [9] But Michaēl the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of :Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. [10] But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they corrupted. [11] Woe unto them! for they went in the way of :Cain, and ran4 riotously in the error of :Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of :Korah. [12] These are they who are hidden rocks in your :love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; [13] wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of :darkness hath been reserved unto the age.
[14] And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Lo, the Lord came with his holy myriads, [15] to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their :works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
[16] These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their :lusts (and their :mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.
[17] But ye beloved, remember ye the words :spoken before by the apostles of our :Lord Jesus Christ; [18] that they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their5 own :ungodly lusts. [19] These are they who make separations, sensual,6 not having Spirit. [20] But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy :faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, [21] keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our :Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. [22] And on some have mercy, who7 are in doubt; [23] and save, snatching them out of fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
[24] Now to him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his :glory blameless in exceeding joy, [25] to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our :Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time,8 and now, and for9 evermore. Amen.