Judas 1

Judas, Jesu Kristi Tjener og Broder til Jakob, til de kaldede, som ere elskede i Gud Fader og bevarede for Jesus Kristus:

Barmhjertighed og Fred og Kærlighed vorde eder mangfoldig til Del!

I elskede! da det lå mig alvorligt på Sinde at skrive til eder om vor fælles Frelse, fandt jeg det nødvendigt at skrive til eder med Formaning om at stride for den Tro, som een Gang er bleven overgiven de hellige.

Thi der har indsneget sig nogle Mennesker, om hvem det for længe siden er forud skrevet, at de vilde falde under denne Dom: Ugudelige, som misbruge vor, Guds Nåde til Uterlighed og fornægte vor eneste Hersker og Herre Jesus Kristus.

Men skønt I een Gang for alle vide det alt sammen, vil jeg minde eder om, at da Herren havde frelst Folket ud af Ægyptens Land, ødelagde han næste Gang dem, som ikke troede,

og de Engle, som ikke bevarede deres Højhed, men forlode deres egen Bolig, bar han holdt forvarede i evige Lænker under Mørke til den store Dags Dom;

ligesom Sodoma og Gomorra og de omliggende Stæder, der på samme Måde som disse vare henfaldne til Utugt og gik efter fremmed Kød), ere satte til et Eksempel, idet de bære en evig Ilds Straf.

Alligevel gå også disse ligedan i Drømme og besmitte Kød, foragte Herskab og bespotte Herligheder.

Disse derimod bespotte, hvad de ikke kende; og hvad de som de ufornuftige Dyr vide Besked om af Naturen, dermed ødelægge de sig selv.

Ve dem! thi de ere gåede på Kains Vej og have styrtet sig i Bileams Vildfarelse for Vindings Skyld og ere gåede til Grunde i Horas Genstridighed.

Disse ere Skærene ved eders Kærlighedsmåltider, fordi de uden Undseelse frådse med og pleje sig selv; de ere vandløse Skyer, som drives forbi af Vinden; bladløse Træer uden Frugt, to Gange døde, oprykkede med Rode;

vilde Bølger på Hav, som udskumme deres egen Skam; vild farende Stjerner; for dem er Mørke og Mulm bevaret til evig Tid.

Disse ere de, som knurre, som klage over deres Skæbne, medens de vandre efter deres Begæringer, og deres Mund taler overmodige Ord, medens de for Fordels Skyld vise Beundring for Personer.

I derimod, I elskede! kommer de Ord i Hu, som forud ere talte af vor Herres Jesu Kristi Apostle;

thi de sagde eder: I den sidste Tid skal der være Spottere, som vandre efter deres Ugudeligheders Begæringer.

Disse ere de, som volde Splittelser, sjælelige, som ikke have Ånd.

I derimod, I elskede! opbygger eder selv på eders helligste Tro; beder i den Helligånd;

bevarer således eder selv i Guds Kærlighed, forventende vor Herres Jesu Kristi Barmhjertighed til evigt Liv.

Og revser nogle, når de tvivle,

frelser andre ved at udrive dem af Ilden, forbarmer eder over andre med Frygt, så I hade endog den af Kødet besmittede Kjortel.

Men ham, som er mægtig til at bevare eder fra Fald og fremstille eder for sin Herlighed ulastelige i Fryd,

den eneste Gud, vor Frelser ved vor Herre Jesus Kristus, tilkommer Ære og Majestæt, Vælde og Magt, forud for al Tid og nu og i alle Evigheder! Amen.

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. {first estate: or, principality}

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. {strange: Gr. other}

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.