Jude 1
1 [I am] Jude. I [serve] Jesus Christ [like] a voluntary slave [MET]. I am a [younger] brother of James, [the leader of all the congregations. I am writing] to you whom [God] has chosen [to belong to him. You are] loved by God [our] Father and protected by Jesus Christ (OR, whom [God] has protected [to present] to Jesus Christ).
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ:
2 [I pray that] you will continue to [experience] very much [God acting] mercifully toward you, [causing you to have inner] peace, and loving [you].
Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 You whom I love, I (was very eager/very much wanted) to write to you about that which we all (share/have in common), which is how ([God/Jesus Christ]) [has] saved [us]. But now I realize that it is necessary [for me] to write to you in order to exhort you to defend the [truth about Christ] that we believe. [Jesus and his apostles] gave that truth once and for all to us who belong to God, [and we must not let it be changed] {[anyone revise/change it]}.
Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
4 Some people falsely [teach that because] God kindly does for us what we do not deserve, it (does not matter/is all right) if we continue to sin. [Those people show by the way that they conduct their lives] that they do not want to admit/accept that Jesus Christ [is] our only Master and Lord. [It was written] long ago {[Someone] long ago wrote} that [God] would condemn (such ungodly people/people like that whose lives are displeasing to him). But some [of those] people have entered [MET] [like crawling snakes] into your congregations [and oppose the truth about Christ, so you must resist/oppose them].
For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Although you previously knew all these things, [there are certain things about] which I desire to remind you. [Do not forget that although] the Lord rescued [his people] from Egypt, he later destroyed most of those same people, ones who did not believe [in him].
Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And there were [many] angels to [whom God assigned/gave positions of authority in heaven]. But many did not continue to rule with authority [in those positions]. Instead, they abandoned the place that [God] gave them to live [in heaven]. So God has put those angels in chains forever in the darkness [in hell. They will stay there] until the great day when [God] will judge [and punish] them. (aïdios g126, questioned)
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day. (aïdios g126)
7 Similarly, the people who lived [MTY] in Sodom and Gomorrah [cities] and the nearby cities committed sexual immorality. They sought all kinds of sexual relations that differ [from what God permits. So God destroyed their cities. What happened to those people and those angels] shows that [God will] punish [people, such as the ones who teach false doctrine], in the eternal fire [of hell]. (aiōnios g166, questioned)
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire. (aiōnios g166)
8 Similarly, these [ungodly people in your midst] also defile their own bodies [by living immorally], because [they claim/say that God revealed] in visions [that they should act that way]. They refuse to [allow] anyone to have authority over them, and they (revile/speak evil about) [God’s] glorious/wonderful [angels].
Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.
9 When (the devil/Satan) argued with the chief angel, Michael, about [who would take away] the body of [the prophet] Moses [to bury it], Michael did not [do as these teachers of false doctrine do. Even though Michael has much more authority than they do], he did not disrespectfully (revile/say evil things to) Satan and accuse/condemn him. Instead, he [only] said, “[I desire that] the Lord [God] will rebuke you!”
But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
10 But the [ones in your midst] who teach false doctrine (revile/speak evil against) the [spiritual] beings that they do not understand. They also [do the evil things that they desire], things that they know about (naturally/without needing to think), things that they just do without considering [the consequences/results], like animals. So they destroy themselves. [But they will also be punished by God] {[God will also] punish them}.
These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
11 [God will do] terrible things to those who teach false doctrine! They conduct their lives [wickedly] like Cain, [who murdered his brother because he was] ([jealous/angry because God accepted his brother’s sacrifice and did not accept his]). These false teachers (devote themselves to [MET] [doing] wrong things [like] Balaam, who [tried to induce God’s people to sin in order to get the money that was offered to him]. They will perish like Korah, who rebelled [against the authority that God gave to Moses].
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
12 Those teachers of false doctrine are [as dangerous to you as] [MET] (hidden rocks on a reef/rocks underneath the surface of the ocean) [are to a boat]. When you gather together [to eat the meals that] help you believers to love each other more and have a closer relationship with each other, they [join you and] carouse shamelessly, caring [only] for themselves [and not for others. Because they do not do anything to help others] [MET], they are [as useless as] clouds that are blown along by the wind {that the wind blows along} but that do not [produce/give] any rain. [They are as disappointing as] [MET] trees that do not produce fruit in the autumn [as we expect them to]. They are not only [spiritually] [MET] dead themselves, [but they are] not [able to cause others to be] alive [spiritually, just like] [MET] trees that have been {that [someone] has} uprooted and [as a result] are unable to produce any fruit.
These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.
13 They are [restless] [MET], [like] the pounding waves of the ocean. [Just like] waves [produce foul-smelling] foam on the shore, [those teachers of false doctrine do] shameful [MTY] [deeds. We cannot depend/rely on them to show us how to conduct our lives] [MET], [just like we cannot depend/rely on] (meteors/falling stars) [to show us the way when we travel]. [God] has reserved intense darkness for them forever [in hell]. (aiōn g165, questioned)
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (aiōn g165)
14 Enoch, the sixth [person in the line of people who descended] from Adam, prophesied this about those [teachers of false doctrine]: “Listen carefully to this: The Lord will certainly come with a countless number of his holy [angels] in order
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones
15 to judge everyone, and to punish all wicked and (ungodly people/people whose lives are displeasing to God) for all the (ungodly things/things that displease God) that they did in (an ungodly way/a way that displeases God), and for all the harsh things that ungodly sinful people have spoken against him.”
to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
16 Those [teachers] of [false doctrine] grumble [about] the [things that God does]. They complain [about what happens to them]. They do the sinful things that their [bodies] desire. They talk boastfully. They (flatter/say nice things to) people, only in order to get [those people to give them the] things that they want.
These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.
17 But you people whom I love need to remember the things that were predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ {that the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen}.
But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
18 They told you, “In the final period of time [in which we are now living] there will be people who will laugh at [the truths that God has revealed]. They will do the (ungodly things/things that are displeasing to God) that their [bodies] desire.”
when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.”
19 [That describes] the teachers of false doctrine [well, because] they are the ones who cause divisions among believers. They do what their own minds tell them to do. The Spirit [of God] does not live within them.
These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you people whom I love, (hold/continue to trust) firmly to the very sacred truths that you believe. Pray by [letting] the Holy Spirit enable/empower you.
But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 Keep conducting your lives in [a way that is appropriate for those whom] God loves. Keep constantly expecting that our Lord Jesus Christ will [act] mercifully toward you. Keep expecting that until [the time when we begin] living eternally [with him]. (aiōnios g166)
keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
22 Mercifully [help] those who are not certain [what teaching they should believe].
And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt;
23 [Rescue] others from [the influence of those who teach what is false] [MET], [as you would rescue things by] snatching [them from] a fire. Pity those [whom the teachers of false doctrine have completely convinced], but beware that [you yourselves are not influenced by them] {that they do not influence you}. Detest [doing or even thinking about the sins that those people commit, just like you would detest] [MET] touching not only filthy things but the clothes that were stained by those things {that those things stained}.
save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
24 God is able to keep you from ceasing to trust in him (OR, from sinning), and he is able to bring you into his glorious presence. [As you stand before him], there will be nothing [for which] you [will] be condemned {[he can] condemn you}, and you will be rejoicing greatly.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
25 He is the only true God. He has saved us as a result of what Jesus Christ our Lord [did for us]. God was glorious and great and mighty and he [ruled] with great authority before time began. [He is still like that], and [he will remain like that] forever! (Amen!/That is true!) (aiōn g165)
to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen. (aiōn g165)
