< 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 slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James. To those who are in God, the Father beloved, kept for Jesus Christ, and called.
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].
May mercy and 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 was making all haste to write to you in regard to our common salvation, I am compelled to write you an appeal to defend the faith once for all committed 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 stealthily - men predestined in ancient prophecies for this condemnation - impious ones! They pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny Jesus Christ, our sole Master and Lord.
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].
I wish to remind you of what you already know right well, that although the Lord once saved a people out of the land of Egypt, he afterward 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)
while the angels who did not keep their first domain but left their proper abode, are held by him in blank darkness, in everlasting chains, in preparation for the judgment of the 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)
So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the near-by cities which in like manner glutted themselves in sensuality and unnatural vice, are exhibited as a warning of the eternal fire, in the punishment they undergo. (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 just the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, while they set at naught dominion and scoff at dignities.
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 Michael, the Archangel, when in contending with the devil, he was disputing about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce sentence for blasphemy, 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}.
Yet these men blaspheme about matters of which they know nothing, while they use such things as they do understand by instinct (like the animals who have no reason) for their own destruction.
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].
Alas for them! They have walked in the path of Cain; for the sake of gain they have rushed headlong into Balaam’s error, and 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 are they who are stains upon your love-feasts; when they feast sumptuously without scruple, looking after none but themselves. They are clouds without water, driven along by the winds; trees of autumn, fruitless, doubly dead, torn up by the roots,
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)
wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness 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
It was to these, too, that Enoch, the "seventh in descent from Adam," prophesied, saying, "Lo! the Lord is come with myriads of his saints,
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 upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly deeds which in their ungodliness they have committed; and of all the hard things which they have spoken against Him, ungodly sinners that they are!"
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.
For these are murmurers, always complaining. They always go where their passions lead, and their mouth speaks great swelling words, while they pay court to men for the sake of the advantage they can get.
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 as for you, dearly beloved, remember the words spoken before 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.”
how they used to say to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will be led only by their godless passions."
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 men, sensual and unspiritual, who cause divisions.
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, continually building yourselves up on your most holy faith, and ever 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)
must keep yourselves in the love of God, while waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which ends in life eternal. (aiōnios g166)
22 Mercifully [help] those who are not certain [what teaching they should believe].
Pity some who are wavering, and save by dragging them out of the fire;
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}.
others pity, but with caution, hating even the garment spotted 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 unto Him who has power to guard you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, faultless and exultant,
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 Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be ascribed glory, majesty, might, and authority, as it was before time began, is now, and ever shall be to all the ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)

< Jude 1 >