Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are
sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy
unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation,
it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should
earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I
will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that
the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains
under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and
Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over
to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers
defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the
archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of
Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord
rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but
what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt
themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying
of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you,
feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about
of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by
the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering
stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch
also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord
cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and
to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which
they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly
sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers,
walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words,
having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be
mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a
difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even
the garment spotted by the flesh.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise
God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and
ever. Amen.