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.
11 a Mat 13:55; Bik 1:13 b Bar 1:6, 7 c Yk 17:12Nze, Yuda, omuddu wa Yesu Kristo, era muganda wa Yakobo, mpandiikira abaagalwa bonna abaayitibwa mu Katonda Kitaffe, era abakuumibwa Yesu Kristo.
22 2Pe 1:2Ekisa kya Katonda, n’emirembe, n’okwagala byeyongerenga mu mmwe.
Abayigiriza ab’Obulimba
33 a Tit 1:4 b 1Ti 6:12Abaagalwa, nnali neesunga nnyo okubawandiikira ku bulokozi bwaffe bwe ntyo nawalirizibwa okubawandiikira nga mbazzaamu amaanyi nga mbegayirira mulwanirire okukkiriza abatukuvu kwe baaweebwa omulundi ogumu. 44 a Bag 2:4 b Tit 1:16; 2Pe 2:1Waliwo abantu abajja mu bubba, abaawandiikwako edda nga baasalirwa omusango, abatatya Katonda abajerega ekisa kya Katonda waffe, ne bakiyisaamu amaaso, ne beegaana Yesu Kristo Mukama waffe, omu yekka.
55 Kbl 14:29; Zab 106:26Naye njagala okubajjukiza nti newaakubadde nga byonna mubimanyi, nga olunaku lumu Mukama yalokola eggwanga n’aliggya mu nsi y’e Misiri, oluvannyuma n’azikiriza abatakkiriza, 66 2Pe 2:4, 9ne bamalayika abataakuuma kitiibwa kyabwe ne badda mu kukola bye baayagala ne balekulira n’ebifo byabwe, abo Katonda yabasiba mu njegere n’abassa mu kkomera ery’ekizikiza ekikutte gye balindiririra okusalirwa omusango. 77 a Ma 29:23 b 2Pe 2:6Temusaanye kwerabira bibuga ebya Sodomu ne Ggomola n’ebibuga ebyali bibiriraanye. Byonna byali bijjudde kwegomba okubi n’obwenzi, nga n’abasajja bakolaganako eby’ensonyi. Ebibuga ebyo byazikirizibwa n’omuliro, era byabonerezebwa n’omuliro ogutaggwaawo bibeere ekyokulabirako gye tuli.
Okukozesa Olulimi Oluvvoola
88 2Pe 2:10Mu ngeri y’emu abo abaloota bagwagwawaza omubiri, ate oludda ne banyooma obuyinza, ne bavvoola ne bamalayika. 99 a Dan 10:13, 21 b Zek 3:2Kale newaakubadde nga Mikayiri, ye malayika asinga obukulu, naye bwe yali akaayana ne Setaani ku mulambo gwa Musa, teyamuvuma wabula yagamba bugambi nti, “Mukama akunenye!” 1010 2Pe 2:12Naye kale abantu bano bavvoola kye batategeera, era okufaanana ng’ensolo obusolo bakola buli kye baagala, era ebyo bibaleetedde okuzikirira.
1111 a Lub 4:3-8; 1Yk 3:12 b 2Pe 2:15 c Kbl 16:1-3, 31-35Zibasanze abo! Kubanga bagoberera ekkubo lya Kayini, era bakola buli kye basobola okufunamu ensimbi okufaanana nga Balamu, era ne bajeemera Katonda nga Koola bwe yakola, noolwekyo balizikirizibwa.
1212 a 2Pe 2:13; 1Ko 11:20-22 b Nge 25:14; 2Pe 2:17 c Bef 4:14 d Mat 15:13Abantu bano bwe bajja ne babeegattamu nga muli ku mbaga zammwe ez’okumanyagana, baba ng’amabala amabi, nga tebatya, nga beefaako bokka, nga bali ng’ebire ebitaliimu mazzi ebitwalibwa empewo; oba ng’emiti egiwaatudde, egitaliiko bibala, egyafa emirundi ebiri, egyakuulibwa n’emirandira; 1313 a Is 57:20 b Baf 3:19 c 2Pe 2:17oba ng’amayengo ag’oku nnyanja agasiikuuse, ebikolwa byabwe ne bibaswaza; oba ng’emmunyeenye eziva mu kkubo lyazo, eziterekeddwa ekizikiza ekikutte ennyo eky’olubeerera.
1414 a Lub 5:18, 21-24 b Ma 33:2; Dan 7:10Enoka eyaliwo nga wayiseewo emirembe musanvu okuva ku Adamu, abantu bano yaboogerako eby’obunnabbi nti, “Mulabe Mukama ajja n’abatukuvu be abangi ennyo. 1515 a 2Pe 2:6-9 b 1Ti 1:9Alireeta abantu bonna mu maaso ge basalirwe omusango mu bwenkanya olw’ebikolwa byabwe bonna abatatya Katonda, bye baakola mu bugenderevu, n’olw’ebigambo byonna ebizibu abakozi b’ebibi bye bamwogeddeko eby’obutatya Katonda.” 1616 2Pe 2:18Beemulugunya, era bakola buli kye beegomba, era nga boogerera waggulu ebigambo eby’okweraga; era olaba bassizzaamu omuntu ekitiibwa ng’omanya nti balina kye bamwagalako.
Okugumiikiriza
1717 2Pe 3:2Naye mmwe, abaagalwa, mujjukire abatume ba Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo ebigambo bye baayogera edda 1818 a 1Ti 4:1 b 2Pe 2:1bwe baabagamba nti, “Mu nnaku ez’oluvannyuma walijjawo abantu abalibasekerera, nga beegomba nga bwe baagala, nga batambulira mu bitasiimibwa Katonda.” 1919 1Ko 2:14, 15Abo be bo abaleeta enjawukana, ab’omubiri obubiri era abatalina Mwoyo Mutukuvu.
2020 a Bak 2:7 b Bef 6:18Naye mmwe, abaagalwa, musaana okuzimba obulamu bwammwe nga bweyongera okuba obw’amaanyi, nga mubuzimbira ku musingi ogw’okukkiriza kwammwe okutukuvu, era nga musaba mu Mwoyo Mutukuvu, 2121 Tit 2:13; 2Pe 3:12nga mwekuumira mu kwagala kwa Katonda, nga mwesunga okusaasira kwa Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo olw’obulamu obutaggwaawo.
22Mubeerenga ba kisa eri abo ababuusabuusa mu kukkiriza, 2323 a Am 4:11; Zek 3:2-5 b Kub 3:4n’abalala mufubenga okubawonya nga mubakwakkula mu nnimi z’omuliro, n’abalala mubatuuse eri Mukama nga muyita mu kubalaga ekisa ng’aboonoonyi, wabula mukyawe ekyambalo, ekijjudde amabala agakiteekeddwako omubiri gwabwe.
Okusaba okw’Okutendereza
2424 a Bar 16:25 b 2Ko 4:14 c Bak 1:22Katonda asobola okubawanirira muleme okuva mu kkubo lye, era n’okubatuusa mu maaso ge ag’ekitiibwa nga temuliiko kamogo era nga mujjudde essanyu; 2525 a Yk 5:44; 1Ti 1:17 b Beb 13:8 c Bar 11:36Katonda oyo omu yekka atulokola okuyita mu Yesu Kristo Mukama waffe, agulumizibwe era atenderezebwenga olw’amaanyi ge n’obuyinza bwe, okuva ku mirembe gyonna egyayita, ne kaakano era ne mu mirembe egitaliggwaawo! Amiina.