1 From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James.
To all who are chosen and loved by God the Father and are kept safe by Jesus Christ.
2 I pray that God will greatly bless you with mercy, peace, and love!
False Teachers
3 My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God's saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people. 4 Some godless people have sneaked in among us and are saying, “God treats us much better than we deserve, and so it is all right to be immoral.” They even deny we must obey Jesus Christ as our only Master and Lord. But long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed.
5 Don't forget what happened to those people the Lord rescued from Egypt. Some of them did not have faith, and he later destroyed them. 6 You also know about the angels who didn't do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment. 7 We should also be warned by what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the nearby towns. Their people became immoral and committed all sorts of sexual sins. Then God made an example of them and punished them with eternal fire.
8 The people I am talking about are behaving just like those dreamers who destroyed their own bodies. They reject all authority and insult angels. 9 Even Michael, the chief angel, didn't dare to insult the devil, when the two of them were arguing about the body of Moses. All Michael said was, “The Lord will punish you!”
10 But these people insult powers they don't know anything about. They are like senseless animals that end up getting destroyed, because they live only by their feelings. 11 Now they are in for real trouble. They have followed Cain's example and have made the same mistake that Balaam did by caring only for money. They have also rebelled against God, just as Korah did. Because of all this, they will be destroyed.
12 These people are filthy minded, and by their shameful and selfish actions they spoil the meals you eat together. They are like clouds blown along by the wind, but never bringing any rain. They are like leafless trees, uprooted and dead, and unable to produce fruit. 13 Their shameful deeds show up like foam on wild ocean waves. They are like wandering stars forever doomed to the darkest pits of hell.
14 Enoch was the seventh person after Adam, and he was talking about these people when he said:
Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels 15 to judge everyone. He will punish all those ungodly people for all the evil things they have done. The Lord will surely punish those ungodly sinners for every evil thing they have ever said about him.
16 These people grumble and complain and live by their own selfish desires. They brag about themselves and flatter others to get what they want.
More Warnings
17 My dear friends, remember the warning you were given by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They told you that near the end of time, selfish and godless people would start making fun of God. 19 And now these people are already making you turn against each other. They think only about this life, and they don't have God's Spirit.
20 Dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray. 21 And keep in step with God's love, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to show how kind he is by giving you eternal life. 22 Be helpful to all who may have doubts. 23 Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been made dirty by their filthy deeds.
Final Prayer
24-25 Offer praise to God our Savior because of our Lord Jesus Christ! Only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in his glorious presence. Before time began and now and forever, God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Amen.
Sveiciens
1 Jūda, Jēzus Kristus kalps un Jēkaba brālis, visiem aicinātajiem, kas Dievā Tēvā ir mīlēti un saglabāti Jēzū Kristū, – 2 lai žēlsirdība, miers un mīlestība jums ir pārpilnībā!
Spriedums par viltus skolotājiem
3 Mīļotie, tā kā es ļoti vēlējos rakstīt jums par mūsu kopējo pestīšanu, man bija nepieciešams uzrakstīt jums pamudinājumu neatlaidīgi tiekties pēc ticības, kas reizi par visām reizēm nodota svētajiem. 4 Pie mums ir ielavījušies daži cilvēki, kas jau izsenis ir nolemti tiesai, kas paredzēta bezdievjiem, kas Dieva žēlastību ir apmainījuši pret izlaidību un noliedz vienīgo Valdnieku, mūsu Kungu Jēzu Kristu. 5 Es gribu atgādināt jums to, ko jau zināt – ka Kungs izveda Israēla tautu no Ēģiptes zemes, bet pēc tam tos, kas neticēja, pazudināja. 6 Arī eņģeļus, kas savu augsto stāvokli nesaglabāja, bet pameta savus mājokļus, viņš ir paturējis lielās dienas tiesai, tumsā un mūžīgās važās ieslēgtus, – 7 tāpat kā Sodomu un Gomoru un citas apkārtējās pilsētas, kas arī kritušas netiklībā un nodevušās pretdabīgām iekārēm. Tās ir palikušas par piemēru mūžīgās uguns tiesai. 8 Tāpat arī šie sapņotāji apgāna miesu, atmet Kunga diženumu un zaimo godības eņģeļus. 9 Pat erceņģelis Mihaēls strīdā ar velnu par Mozus mirušo miesu neuzdrošinājās spriest nievājošu tiesu, bet teica: lai tevi soda Kungs! 10 Bet šie cilvēki zaimo to, ko nezina, un, ko tie dabiskā ceļā zina kā mēmi kustoņi, tas tos ved pazušanā. 11 Vai viņiem! Jo viņi ir sākuši iet Kaina ceļu; peļņas dzīti, viņi ir aizvilināti Bileāma maldos un iet bojā Koras dumpī. 12 Viņi ir kauna traipi jūsu mīlestības mielastos, bezkaunīgi tos svinot kopā ar jums, viņi gana paši sevi, viņi ir vēju dzīti bezlietus mākoņi, kā koki vēlā rudenī, divtik miruši, bez augļiem un bez saknēm. 13 Viņi ir kā trakojoši viļņi jūrā, un viņu kauns šļācas augšup kā putas, viņi ir kā klīstošas zvaigznes, viņiem Dievs paredzējis visdziļāko tumsu uz mūžiem. 14 Hanohs, kas bija septītajā paaudzē pēc Ādama, pravietoja: redzi, nāk Kungs ar savu svēto eņģeļu pulkiem 15 spriest tiesu visiem un atmaskot visas dvēseles, ceļot gaismā viņu bezdievīgos darbus, ko tās grēkojušas, un visus nejaukos vārdus, ko šie bezdievīgie grēcinieki ir runājuši pret viņu. 16 Šie cilvēki ir nīgri kurnētāji, kas tiecas dzīvot pēc savām iekārēm; viņu mutes pilnas uzpūtīgas lielības, un viņi lišķīgi glaimo peļņas dēļ.
Brīdinājums un pamudinājums
17 Bet jūs, mīļotie, atcerieties, ko runāja mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus apustuļi. 18 Viņi mēdza jums teikt: pēdējā laikā būs zaimotāji smējēji, kas dzīvos pēc savām bezdievīgajām iegribām. 19 Viņi ir tie, kas rada šķelšanos, miesīgi cilvēki, kuriem nav gara. 20 Bet jūs, mīļotie, uzceliet sevi kā namu savas ticības svētumā, un, Svētajā Garā lūgdamies, 21 saglabājiet sevi Dieva mīlestībā un gaidiet mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus apžēlošanu uz mūžīgo dzīvību! 22 Esiet žēlīgi pret tiem, kas šaubās. 23 Citus glābiet, izraujiet tos no uguns; par citiem apžēlojieties ar bailēm – pilni riebuma pret viņu miesas aptraipītām drēbēm! 24 Bet viņam, kas jūs spēj pasargāt no klupšanas un nostādīt jūs līksmībā savas godības priekšā bezvainīgus, 25 vienīgajam Dievam, mūsu Glābējam caur mūsu Kungu Jēzu Kristu, – lai ir slava, dižums, vara un varenība pirms laiku laikiem, tagad un mūžu mūžos! Āmen!
