1 Jude, servant of Jesus Christ and broth er of
James, to those called to the faith, be loved by God the Father and kept in
Christ Jesus.
2 May mercy, peace and love abound in you.
3 Most beloved, I had wanted to write to you about the salvation we all
share, but now I feel I must urge you to fight for the faith God has given
once for all to the saints.
4 Some individuals have slip ped into your midst, godless people who were
long ago marked down for condemnation. They make use of the grace of our God
as a license for immorality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.
5 Although you may be aware of it, I wish to remind you that the Lord saved
his people from the land of Egypt, but later delivered to death those who
did not believe.
6 He did the same with the angels who did not keep their rank but abandoned
their dwelling places. God enclosed them in eternal prisons, in the pit of
darkness until the great day of Judg ment.
7 Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities who prostituted themselves
and were lured into unnatural unions are also a warning of the punishment of
eternal fire.
8 In spite of all this, these people now do the same: in their ravings, they
debase their bodies, scorn the celestial authorities, blaspheme against the
angels.
9 When the archangel Michael fought against the devil and disputed about the
body of Moses, he did not dare insult him, but simply said, ��May the Lord
rebuke you!��
10 Not so these peo ple, they insult and scorn what they cannot understand;
what they know by instinct like animals, they use for their corruption.
11 Woe to them! They follow the footsteps of Cain and like Balaam go astray
because of money: they will finally perish like the rebellious Korah.
12 When you celebrate your love-meals, they spoil everything, coming only
for the food and shamelessly seeing to their own needs. They are like clouds
carried along by the wind which never bring rain, like trees without fruit
at the end of autumn, twice dead when up rooted.
13 The scum of their vices are splashed like foam on the rough waves of the
sea, they are like shooting stars which the thick darkness engulfs for ever.
14 The patriach Enoch, the seventh after Adam, said these words about them:
The Lord comes with thousands of angels
15 to judge everyone and call the wicked to account for all the evil deeds
they committed; he will punish all the injurious words the impious sinners
uttered against him.
16 All these are discontented who curse their lot and follow their passions.
Their mouth is full of arrogant words, and they flatter people for their own
interest.
17 But, most beloved, remember what the apostles of Christ Jesus, our Lord,
announced to you.
18 They said to you, ��At the end of time, there will be scoffers led by
their desires which are those of godless people.��
19 Actually, these people are those who cause divisions, they are world ly
people and do not have the Holy Spirit.
20 But, dearly beloved, build your life on the foundation of your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
21 Remain firm in the love of God, welcoming the mer cy of Jesus Christ, our
Lord, which leads to eternal life.
22 Try to convince those who doubt;
23 others you will save, snat ching them from condem nation. Treat the
others with compassion but also with prudence, shunning even the clothes
that touched their body.
24 To the one God who is able to keep you from all sin and bring you happy
and without blemish before his own Glory,
25 to the one God who saves us through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to him be
glory, honor, might and pow er, from past ages, now and forever. Amen.