1 From Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James—
To those who have been called by God, who live in the love of God the Father and the protection of Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in full measure.
False Teachers
3 My dear friends, I was doing my best to write to you about the salvation we share in common, when I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith which once and for all God has given to his people. 4 For some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Long ago the Scriptures predicted the condemnation they have received.
5 For even though you know all this, I want to remind you of how the Lord once rescued the people of Israel from Egypt, but afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned. 7 Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, and the nearby towns, whose people acted as those angels did and indulged in sexual immorality and perversion: they suffer the punishment of eternal fire as a plain warning to all.
8 In the same way also, these people have visions which make them sin against their own bodies; they despise God's authority and insult the glorious beings above. 9 Not even the chief angel Michael did this. In his quarrel with the Devil, when they argued about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people attack with insults anything they do not understand; and those things that they know by instinct, like wild animals, are the very things that destroy them. 11 How terrible for them! They have followed the way that Cain took. For the sake of money they have given themselves over to the error that Balaam committed. They have rebelled as Korah rebelled, and like him they are destroyed. 12 With their shameless carousing they are like dirty spots in your fellowship meals. They take care only of themselves. They are like clouds carried along by the wind, but bringing no rain. They are like trees that bear no fruit, even in autumn, trees that have been pulled up by the roots and are completely dead. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea, with their shameful deeds showing up like foam. They are like wandering stars, for whom God has reserved a place forever in the deepest darkness.
14 It was Enoch, the seventh direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them: “The Lord will come with many thousands of his holy angels 15 to bring judgment on all, to condemn them all for the godless deeds they have performed and for all the terrible words that godless sinners have spoken against him!”
16 These people are always grumbling and blaming others; they follow their own evil desires; they brag about themselves and flatter others in order to get their own way.
Warnings and Instructions
17 But remember, my friends, what you were told in the past by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “When the last days come, people will appear who will make fun of you, people who follow their own godless desires.” 19 These are the people who cause divisions, who are controlled by their natural desires, who do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.
22 Show mercy toward those who have doubts; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and to others show mercy mixed with fear, but hate their very clothes, stained by their sinful lusts.
Prayer of Praise
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to bring you faultless and joyful before his glorious presence— 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, from all ages past, and now, and forever and ever! Amen.
1 Ndimi Judi, nlanda wa Jesu Kirisiti, ndili nnung'una wa Jakubo.
Ndokwalila ibabo bakadang'wa, banodika mu Ndzimu Tate, koga bakatjengetigwa Jesu Kirisiti:
2 Mahwilo ngoni ne mbakiso ne ludo ngazwibe namwi zwimuwandile.
Badiyi be manyepkhwa
3 Badiwa, nenguba ndakabe ndishaka kwazo kumukwalila ngekwe jidzo latinalo tose, ndawana kwakalingisana kumukwalila ndimukulumbidza kugwila kugalamoyo ikoku kwati kukapiwa bayengemali. 4 Bathu bamwe bakati kulobesiwa kwabo kukakwagwa ntolo bamunginilila nge kwakasumbikika. Bathu banonyanyayidza Ndzimu, banoshandula ngoni dze Ndzimu wedu bedzithama bugovu, bezwilandula Tetshi wedu nng'ompela koga, iye She Jesu Kirisiti.
5 Kene muziba zwenyu ikoku kose kale, ndoshaka kumukumbuludza kuti iye wakasunungula bathu mu Egipiti, wakati shule kalobesa ibabo bakabe basingagalemoyo. 6 Ne batumwa be kudzimu basakatjengeta mamo abo koga bakasiya nzi wabo, wakababiga mu zhalima mu busungwa gusingapele kuti basumikilisiwe mu zhuba gulu. 7 Koga se Sodoma ne Gomora ne mizi mikulu yakaipoteleka yakathama bupombgwe bunjisa ne kuthama zwithu nge zila isi ye tjilenje kube kupa tjilakidzilo tja ibabo banowoamutjila shamu ye moto usingadzimiwe.
8 Nge zila yakajalobo ibaba bawoloti banothama mibili yabo shambgwa belamba ndaulo ye Ndzimu kakale betuka bakudziwa be kudzimu. 9 Koga ntumwa we kudzimu nkulu Mikaele, paakabe enyanyayidzana na Satani ngekwe mbili wa Mushe aazotongo nsumikilisa, koga wakati, “She ngabakutjemele.” 10 Koga ibaba bathu banotuka tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabasingazibisise; ngono banolobesiwa nge zwithu izwezo zwabanoziba nge mbumbiko se phuka dzisingakumbule. 11 Yee mme wee! Mapalala imwi bakatobela zila ya Kaini! Bakatizhilila mbuzilo nge zila ye kulashika sa Bhalamu, bakalobesiwa mu kupanduka sa Kora. 12 Aba zwibadzi mu mizano yenyu ye ludo, beja namwi basina lutjo ne lutukununu gose; bakazwilinga ibo koga; makole asina vula, anowulusiwa nge phepo, miti isina mitjelo mu tjibaka tje mitjelo, yakafa, ikadzikunugwa. 13 Mabundo e vula ye gungwa, anothwa mafulo anoabhatisa shoni. Banonga nyenyedzi dzinoyendayenda dzakabiganyidzigwa zhalima dema nge kusingapele.
14 Enoki, iye we tjizekugwana tje kutendeka kudwa muna Adamu, wakalebela mbeli ngekwa ibaba eti, “Bonani, She unozha ne bali zwiwulu wulu zwe babe bakayengemala 15 kusumikilisa mmwe ne mmwe, ne kubona nlandu bose bakashinga mishingo yabo isina Ndzimu nenge matama wose mabi akalebgwa nge batjinyi ngekwe Ndzimu!”
16 Aba bang'ong'oli ne bakombeledzi banotobela njemulo dzabo dzakabipa banozwikudza banozipisa lulimi betjengela bamwe kuti kubhatshike ibo koga.
Kusimisila
17 Koga, badiwa, kumbulani tjakalebegwa mbeli nge batumwa ba She wedu Jesu Kirisiti. 18 Bakati kumuli, “Mu nsi we bupelo kowobe ne badadi banotobela njemulo dzabo dzakabipa dzisina meya ye Ndzimu.” 19 Ibaba ndibo banodana kupalalana, bana meya isi iyo abana Meya yakayengemala. 20 Koga imwi, banodika, muzwibumbeni nge buzhalo mu kugalamoyo kwenyu kwakayengemala kwazo, mutembezela mu Meya yakayengemala. 21 Muzwitjengetele mu ludo gwe Ndzimu, lindilani mahwilo ngoni a She wedu Jesu Kirisiti kumupa butjilo gusingapele.
22 Ibeni nge ngoni kuna banodudumwa. 23 Tjidzani bamwe nge kubabhula mu moto usingadzimike; ku bamwe mulakidze ngoni dzakashangana ngotja, mushima na itjo tjiambalo tja ibaba bakazhodzeka nge shambgwa ye njemulo dzabo dzakabipa.
Ntembezelo we kukudza
24 Ngwenu kunli iye unotubula kumutjengeta kuti musiwe, kamuyisa mbeli kukwe ali mu gudzo musina nlandu ngono muna kushatha kukulu, 25 ku Ndzimu nng'ompela koga Ntjidzi wedu, muna Jesu Kirisiti, She wedu, ngakube gudzo ne bukulu ne masimba ne ndaulo se kwakabe kuli iko kutanga nangwenu nenge kusingapele. Ngakujalo.