BWE - Jude - 1

1:1  I am Jude. I am a servant of Jesus Christ and I am a brother of James. I send greetings to you whom God the Father has called. He has loved you and kept you safe for Jesus Christ.

1:2  May God be kind to you. May he give you peace. May he love you very much.

1:3  My dear brothers, I wanted very much to write to you and tell you how we all are saved. But then I saw that I must write and tell you to hold very strongly to what you do believe. Fight against those who want to change it. The right way to believe has been given to God’s people once for all times.

1:4  Some men have come in quietly. They are bad men. The holy writings told us long ago that they would be punished. These men change the blessing of our God to do the wrong things they want to do. They show by their lives that they do not belong to Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord

1:5  You know all these things for all times. But I want to bring them to your minds. First, the Lord saved his people from the country of Egypt. At a time after that, he killed those who did not believe in him.

1:6  Remember the angels also. Some of them did not keep the high place they had. But they left their home. God has them tied in chains for ever, and he is keeping them in a very dark place. He will keep them there until that big day when they will be judged.

1:7  Also Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities near them show what will happen. The people there had wrong ways of using sex and did wrong things that people should not do with each other. They were punished and are in fire that burns for ever. God did this to show what will happen to others.

1:8  And yet these men do the same wrong things. They think of and do wrong things with their bodies. They will not obey the men who rule over them. And they say wrong things about those who are great, even about the angels.

1:9  At one time Michael the chief angel had a quarrel with the devil about who should have the body of Moses. But he did not dare to judge the devil and say wrong things about him. He said, ‘May the Lord tell you to stop!’

1:10  But these men say wrong things about everything they do not understand. They know some things just like animals that cannot think. And they will die because they do those wrong things.

1:11  They will have trouble! They have lived like Cain. They have done wrong things for pay like Balaam. They have talked against those who are over them. Korah did that. And so they will die as he did.

1:12  These men spoil your love feasts. They are not afraid to eat and drink with you. They take care only of themselves. They are like clouds that do not give rain, and are blown around by the winds. They are like trees when their leaves are gone and they have no fruit. These trees are also dead because they have been pulled up by the roots.

1:13  These men are like big waves on the sea. Big waves cause much trouble. And these men also show the wrong things they do. They are like stars that have fallen from their place in the sky. A very dark place has been kept for ever in which to put these men.

1:14  Enoch was the seventh in Adam’s family line. He spoke words from God to these men also. He said, ‘Listen! The Lord came with many thousands of his angels.

1:15  He came to judge all people and to punish all the bad people for all the wrong things they have done. And he came to punish bad people for all the wrong things that they have said against him.’

1:16  These men complain about the way things are. They do not like it. They do what they themselves want to do. They say big things. They say nice things to people to get what they want from them.

1:17  But, my dear brothers, you must remember what the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ said would happen.

1:18  They said to you, ‘At the end of time, men will come who will make fun of holy things. They will do the wrong things they themselves want to do.’

1:19  These are the men who make people go into different groups in the church meetings. They have only a man’s heart. They do not have the Holy Spirit.

1:20  But you, my dear brothers, must make your lives better in the holy things you believe. Talk to God in the Holy Spirit.

1:21  Keep yourselves in God’s love. Wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come and help you. He will give you life that will live for ever.

1:22  Some people are not sure what they believe. Be kind to them by sharing in their troubles.

1:23  Pull them out of the fire and save them. There are other people to whom you must be kind, but be careful about it. But you must hate even the clothes that bad people have worn.

1:24  God can keep you from doing anything wrong. He can bring you to the place where he is great and you will be all good. You will be very happy.

1:25  He is the only God. And he is our Saviour through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is great! He is wonderful! He has power! He has the right to rule! He was like that before time began! He is like that now! And he will be like that for ever. Yes, he will!