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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.
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