
{1}1{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Jude, servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to 
those called to the faith, beloved by God the Father and kept in 
Christ Jesus.
{I}2_{/}May mercy, peace and love abound in you. {R}_{I}3_{/} Most beloved, I 
had wanted to write to you about the salvation we all share, but 
now I feel I must urge you to fight for the faith God has given 
once for all to the saints.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Some individuals have slipped into your midst, godless people 
already condemned. They make use of the grace of our God as a 
license for immorality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus 
Christ.
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}Although you may be aware of it, I wish to remind you 
that the Lord saved his people from the land of Egypt, but later 
delivered to death those who did not believe. {R}_{I}6_{/}He did the same 
with the angels who did not keep their rank but abandoned their 
dwelling places. God enclosed them in eternal prisons, in the pit 
of darkness until the great day of Judgment. {R}_{I}7_{/}Sodom and 
Gomorrah and the surrounding cities who prostituted themselves and 
were lured into unnatural unions are also a warning of the 
punishment of eternal fire. [=]_{I}8_{/}In spite of all this, these 
people now do the same: in their ravings, they debase their 
bodies, scorn the celestial authorities, blaspheme against the 
angels.
[=]_{I}9_{/}When the archangel Michael fought against the devil and 
disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare insult him, but 
simply said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" {I}10_{/}Not so these people, 
they insult and scorn what they cannot understand; what they know 
by instinct like animals, they use for their corruption. {I}11_{/}Woe 
to them! They follow the footsteps of Cain and like Balaam go 
astray because of money: they will finally perish like the 
rebellious Korah. {R}_{I}12_{/}When you celebrate your love-meals, they 
spoil everything, coming only for the food and shamelessly seeing 
to their own needs. They are like clouds carried along by the wind 
which never bring rain, like trees without fruit at the end of 
autumn, twice dead when uprooted. {R}_{I}13_{/}The scum of their vices 
are splashed like foam on the rough waves of the sea, they are 
like shooting stars which the thick darkness engulfs for ever. 
{I}14_{/}The patriach Enoch, the seventh after Adam, said these words 
about them: The Lord comes with thousands of angels [=]_{I}15_{/}to 
judge everyone and call the wicked to account for all the evil 
deeds they committed; he will punish all the injurious words the 
impious sinners uttered against him. {I}16_{/}All these are 
discontented who curse their lot and follow their passions. Their 
mouth is full of arrogant words, and they flatter people for their 
own interest.
{R}_{I}17_{/}But, most beloved, remember what the apostles of Christ 
Jesus, our Lord, announced to you. {I}18_{/}They said to you, "At the 
end of time, there will be scoffers led by their desires which are 
those of godless people." {R}_{I}19_{/}Actually, these people are those 
who cause divisions, they are worldly people and do not have the 
Holy Spirit.
{R}_{I}20_{/}But, dearly beloved, build your life on the foundation of 
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. {R}_{I}21_{/}Remain 
firm in the love of God, welcoming the mercy of Jesus Christ, our 
Lord, which leads to eternal life.
{I}22_{/}Try to convince those who doubt; {I}23_{/}others you will save, 
snatching them from condemnation. Treat the others with compassion 
but also with prudence, shunning even the clothes which touched 
their body.
[=]_{R}_{I}24_{/}To the one God who is able to keep you from all sin and 
bring you happy and without blemish before his own Glory, {R}_{I}25_{/}to 
the one God who saves us through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to him be 
glory, honor, might and power, from past ages, now and forever. 
Amen.

