1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for1:1 Or by; or in Jesus Christ:
2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People
3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.). 10Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.) 16These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
A Call to Persevere
17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.
Doxology
24To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
1我是耶穌基督的奴僕、雅各的兄弟猶大,現在寫信給蒙父上帝呼召和眷愛、並被耶穌基督看顧的人。
2願你們飽得憐憫、平安和慈愛!
捍衛真道
3親愛的弟兄姊妹,我一直迫切地想寫信跟你們談談我們所共享的救恩,但現在我覺得有必要寫信勸勉你們竭力護衛一次就完整地交給聖徒的真道。 4因為有些不敬虔的人偷偷地混進你們中間,以上帝的恩典作藉口放縱情慾,否認獨一的主宰——我們的主耶穌基督。聖經上早已記載,這樣的人必受到審判。
前車之鑑
5以下的事情,你們雖然都知道,但我還要再提醒你們:從前上帝1·5 「上帝」有些抄本作「主」。把祂的子民從埃及救出來,後來把其中不信的人滅絕了。 6至於不守本分、擅離領地的天使,上帝也用鎖鏈將他們永遠囚禁在幽暗裡,等候最後審判的大日子到來。 7此外,所多瑪、蛾摩拉及其附近城鎮的人同樣因為荒淫無度、沉溺於變態的情慾而遭到永遠不滅之火的刑罰。這些事都成為我們的警戒。
假教師的惡行
8同樣,這些作夢的人玷污自己的身體,不服權柄,毀謗有尊榮的。 9當天使長米迦勒為摩西的屍體跟魔鬼爭辯的時候,尚且不敢用毀謗的話譴責牠,只說:「願主責罰你!」 10但這些人對自己不懂的事也隨口毀謗,好像沒有理性的牲畜一樣憑本能行事,結果自取滅亡。 11他們有禍了!他們步了該隱的後塵,為牟利而重蹈巴蘭的謬誤,又像可拉一樣因叛逆而滅亡。 12這些人在你們的愛宴中是敗類1·12 「敗類」希臘文是「暗礁」或「污點」的意思。。他們肆無忌憚地吃喝,是只顧餵養自己的牧人;是沒有雨的雲,隨風飄蕩;是深秋不結果子的樹,被連根拔起,徹底枯死; 13是海中的狂濤,翻動著自己可恥的泡沫;是流蕩的星星,有幽幽黑暗永遠留給他們。
14亞當的第七代子孫以諾曾經針對這些人說預言:「看啊!主率領祂千萬的聖者一同降臨, 15要審判所有的人,按不虔不敬的罪人所行的一切不虔不敬之事和他們褻瀆上帝的話定他們的罪。」 16這些人滿腹牢騷,怨天尤人,放縱自己的邪情私慾。他們口出狂言,為了牟利極盡阿諛奉承之事。
牢記警告
17親愛的弟兄姊妹,要謹記主耶穌基督的使徒從前給你們的警告。 18他們曾對你們說:「末世必有不敬虔、好嘲諷的人放縱自己的邪情私慾。」 19這些人製造分裂,血氣用事,心中沒有聖靈。
20親愛的弟兄姊妹,你們要在至聖的真道上造就自己,在聖靈的引導下禱告, 21常在上帝的愛中,等候我們主耶穌基督施憐憫賜給你們永生。
22那些心存疑惑的人,你們要憐憫他們; 23有些人,你們要將他們從火中搶救出來;還有些人,你們要懷著畏懼的心憐憫他們,甚至要厭惡被他們的邪情私慾玷污的衣服。
祝頌
24-25願榮耀歸給我們的救主——獨一的上帝!祂能保守你們不失足犯罪,使你們無瑕無疵、歡歡喜喜地站在祂的榮耀面前。 願榮耀、威嚴、能力和權柄藉著我們的主耶穌基督都歸給祂,從萬世以前直到現今,一直到永永遠遠。阿們!