< Jude 1 >
1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are in God the Father, enfolded in His love, and kept for Jesus Christ, and called.
Jude, Jesus Christ’s servant, and brother of James, unto, the called, by God the Father, beloved, and, by Jesus Christ preserved, —
2 May mercy, peace and love be abundantly granted to you.
Mercy to you, and peace, and love, be multiplied!
3 Dear friends, since I am eager to begin a letter to you on the subject of our common salvation, I find myself constrained to write and cheer you on to the vigorous defense of the faith delivered once for all to God's people.
Beloved! though I was using all diligence to be writing unto you concerning our common salvation, yet have I had necessity to write at once unto you, exhorting you to be earnestly contending for, the faith, once for all delivered unto the saints.
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed--men spoken of in ancient writings as pre-destined to this condemnation--ungodly men, who pervert the grace of our God into an excuse for immorality, and disown Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord.
For there have crept in unobserved certain men, who, from of old, have been publicly notified for this sentence, ungodly, men, the favour of our God, turning into wantonness, and, our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, denying.
5 I desire to remind you--although the whole matter is already familiar to you--that the Lord saved a people out of the land of Egypt, but afterwards destroyed those who had no faith.
I am minded, therefore, to put you in remembrance, —though ye know all things once for all, That the Lord, when a people out of Egypt he had saved, in, the next place, them that believed not, destroyed.
6 And angels--those who did not keep the position originally assigned to them, but deserted their own proper abode--He reserves in everlasting bonds, in darkness, in preparation for the judgement of the great day. (aïdios )
Messengers also, even them who had not kept their own principality, but had forsaken their proper dwelling, unto the judgment of the great day in perpetual bonds under thick gloom, hath he reserved. (aïdios )
7 So also Sodom and Gomorrah--and the neighboring towns in the same manner--having been guilty of gross fornication and having gone astray in pursuit of unnatural vice, are now before us as a specimen of the fire of the Ages in the punishment which they are undergoing. (aiōnios )
As, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having in like manner to these given themselves over to fornication, and gone away after other kind of flesh, lie exposed as an example, a penalty of age-abiding fire, undergoing. (aiōnios )
8 Yet in just the same way these dreamers also pollute the body, while they set authority at naught and speak evil of dignities.
In like manner, nevertheless, even these, in their dreamings, flesh indeed defile, while lordship they set aside, and dignities they defame.
9 But Michael the Archangel, when contending with the Devil and arguing with him about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce judgement on him in abusive terms, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you."
Whereas, Michael, the chief-messenger, when, with the adversary, disputing, he was reasoning about the body of Moses, durst not impose on him a defamatory sentence, but said—The Lord rebuke thee!
10 Yet these men are abusive in matters of which they know nothing, and in things which, like the brutes, they understand instinctively--in all these they corrupt themselves.
But, these, whatsoever things, indeed, they know not, they defame; but, whatsoever things, naturally, like the irrational creatures, they well understand, by these, are they, bringing themselves to ruin.
11 Alas for them; for they have followed in the steps of Cain; for the sake of gain they have rushed on headlong in the evil ways of Balaam; and have perished in rebellion like that of Korah!
Alas for them! because—in the way of Cain have they gone, and, in the error of Balaam’s wage, have they run riot, and, in the gainsaying of Korah, have they perished.
12 These men--sunken rocks! --are those who share the pleasure of your love-feasts, unrestrained by fear while caring only for themselves; clouds without water, driven away by the winds; trees that cast their fruit, barren, doubly dead, uprooted;
These are they—who, in your love-feasts, are hidden rocks, as they fare sumptuously together, fearlessly, themselves, shepherding, —clouds without water, by winds swept along, trees autumnal, fruitless, twice dead, uprooted,
13 wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom is reserved dense darkness of age-long duration. (aiōn )
Wild waves of sea, foaming out their own infamies, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness age-abiding hath been reserved. (aiōn )
14 It was also about these that Enoch, who belonged to the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "The Lord has come, attended by myriads of His people, to execute judgement upon all,
But the seventh from Adam, Enoch, prophesied, even of these, saying—Lo! the Lord hath come with his holy myriads, —
15 and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly deeds which in their ungodliness they have committed, and of all the hard words which they, ungodly sinners as they are, have spoken against Him."
To execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly—of all their works of ungodliness, which they committed in ungodliness, and of all the hard things which they have spoken against him—sinners, ungodly!
16 These men are murmurers, ever bemoaning their lot. Their lives are guided by their evil passions, and their mouths are full of big, boastful words, while they treat individual men with admiring reverence for the sake of the advantage they can gain.
These, are murmurers, complainers, according to their covetings, going on, —and, their mouth, speaketh great swelling words, —holding persons in admiration, for profit’s sake.
17 But as for you, my dearly-loved friends, remember the words that before now were spoken by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ--
But, ye, beloved! remember the things which were foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18 how they declared to you, "In the last times there shall be scoffers, obeying only their own ungodly passions."
How that they used to say to you—In the last time, there shall be mockers, —according to their own ungodly covetings, going on.
19 These are those who cause divisions. They are men of the world, wholly unspiritual.
These, are they who make complete separation, mere men of soul, Spirit, not possessing.
20 But you, my dearly-loved friends, building yourselves up on the basis of your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
But, ye, beloved! building yourselves up in your most holy faith, in Holy Spirit, praying,
21 must keep yourselves safe in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will result in the Life of the Ages. (aiōnios )
Yourselves, in God’s love, keep, —awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto age-abiding life. (aiōnios )
22 Some, when they argue with you, you must endeavor to convince;
And, on some, indeed, have mercy, —such as are in doubt, be saving, out of the fire, snatching them;
23 others you must try to save, as brands plucked from the flames; and on others look with pity mingled with fear, while you hate every trace of their sin.
But, on others, have mercy with fear, hating even, the garment, spotted by the flesh.
24 But to Him who is able to keep you safe from stumbling, and cause you to stand in the presence of His glory free from blemish and full of exultant joy--
Now, unto him who is able—to guard you from stumbling, and to set you in the presence of his glory, without blemish, with exultation, —
25 to the only God our Saviour--through Jesus Christ our Lord, be ascribed glory, majesty, might, and authority, as it was before all time, is now, and shall be to all the Ages! Amen. (aiōn )
Unto God alone our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, greatness, dominion, and authority, before all the [by-gone] age, and now, and unto all the [coming] ages. Amen! (aiōn )