Greetings from Jude
(James 1:1-1)

1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those called, having been loved in God the Father and having been kept in Jesus Christ.

2Mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

God's Judgment on the Ungodly
(Genesis 4:1-7; Romans 2:1-16)

3Beloved, using all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith having been delivered once for all to the saints. 4For certain men came in stealthily, those having been designated long ago unto this condemnation, ungodly ones changing the grace of our God into sensuality and denying our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5Now I want to remind you, you having known all this, that Jesus,a having saved at one time a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward He destroyed those not having believed. 6And the angels not having kept their own domain, but having abandoned the own dwelling, He keeps in eternal chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day; 7just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having indulged in sexual immorality and having gone after strange flesh, in like manner with them are set forth as an example, undergoing the penalty of eternal fire.

8Yet likewise also these dreaming ones indeed defile the flesh, and set aside authority, and blaspheme glorious ones. 9But Michael the archangel, when he was reasoning with the devil, disputing about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring against him a blasphemous judgment, but he said “The Lord rebuke you.”b 10But these indeed speak evil of whatever things they have not seen; and whatever things they understand naturally, as the irrational animals, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11Woe to them, because they have gone in the way of Cain, and rushed for profit to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

12These are the hidden reefs,c feasting together with you fearlessly in your love feasts; shepherding themselves; clouds without water, being carried about by winds; autumnal trees without fruit, twice having died, having been uprooted; 13wild waves of the sea, foaming out of their own shame; wandering stars, to whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved to the age.

14And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied as to these, saying: “Behold, the Lord has come amidst myriads of His holy ones, 15to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”d

16These are grumblers, discontented, following after the own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering faces for the sake of profit.

A Call to Persevere
(Hebrews 10:19-39)

17But you, beloved, remember the words having been spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following after their own passions of ungodlinesses.” 19These are those causing divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit.

20But you, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22And indeed have mercy on those who are doubting; 23and save others, snatching them out of the fire; and show mercy to others with fear, hating even the clothing having been stained by the flesh.

Doxology
(Romans 11:33-36; Romans 16:25-27)

24Now to Him being able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless in the presence of His glory, with exultation— 25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and to all the ages.

Amen.