A Greeting from Jude 1 God’s Judgment on the Ungodly 3Beloved, having an earnest desire to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was under a necessity of writing to exhort you that ye would strive earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. 4For there have crept in some men, who have been of old described as under this condemnation, impious people, that turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5But I would remind you of this, which ye know already, that though the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt, yet He afterwards destroyed those that believed not: 6and the angels that kept not their primitive state, but left their proper abode, hath He reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, to the judgement of the great day: 7as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner with them committing lewdness, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of perpetual fire. 8So these vile dreamers also defile the flesh, despise authority, and speak evil of dignities. 9Whereas Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, did not presume to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." 10But these men speak evil of what they know not: and what they know naturally, as brute animals, in these things they are corrupt. 11Wo unto them; for they have gone in the way of Cain, and been carried away by Balaam's error, the love of lucre, and perished as in the contradiction of Korah. 12These are spots in your love-feasts, feeding themselves without fear, when they are feasting with you: clouds without water, carried about by the winds; trees withered and without fruit, twice dead and rooted up; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; 13wandering stars, for whom blackness of darkness is reserved for ever. 14And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied against these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with his holy myriads, 15to pass judgement upon all, and to convict all the ungodly among them of all their wicked works, which they have impiously committed, and of all the hard things which impious sinners have spoken against Him. 16These are murmurers, complainers, who walk according to their own irregular desires; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, with admiration of certain persons for some advantage of their own. A Call to Persevere 17But, beloved, remember the words which were formerly spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they told you, 18that in the latter days there will be scoffers, walking according to their own impious lusts. 19These are they who separate themselves, sensualists, not having the Spirit. 20But ye, beloved, edifying yourselves in your most holy faith, and praying in the holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, 21looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22And on some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear, 23as snatching them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Doxology 24Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy: 25to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen. Worsley's New Testament (1770) Digital Text Courtesy TheWord.net Bible Software. Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible. |