GREETINGS

¹From Strong of Heart (Jude), a brother of He Leads the Way (James) and a sacred servant of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.

To all whom our Father the Great Spirit has called, who are loved by him, and kept safe by Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. ²May Creator’s mercy, peace, and love flood into your lives like a rushing river.

FIRST WORDS

³My much-loved friends, I was eagerly preparing to write to you about how we have all been set free and made whole. As I thought about this, I felt that I needed to urge you to wage a spiritual battle1 for the faith that was once and for all handed down to his holy ones. ⁴For there are some bad-hearted people who have snuck in among you. They twist the gift of Creator’s great kindness into an excuse to give in to uncontrolled selfish pleasures. In doing so, they deny our only Headman and Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. It was written long ago that people like this would come to a bad end.

A SOLEMN REMINDER

⁵I want to remind you of some things you already know. First, that our Honored Chief who rescued his people from Black Land (Egypt) later stuck down the ones who turned away from trusting him.

⁶You also know about the spirit-messengers who did not remain in their place of authority and deserted their rightful dwelling. They are bound continually in a place of deep darkness waiting to face their fate on the great day of deciding.

⁷In the same way, Village of Bad Spirits (Sodom) and Village of Deep Fear (Gomorrah) and the small villages nearby gave themselves over to sexual impurity and to twisted and shameful ways. These villages, which were punished with a fire that burned on and on, are now set before us as a warning against such things.

DECEITFUL DREAMERS

⁸But the bad-hearted people I have been telling you about ignore these warnings. They are deceitful dreamers2 who through their corrupt desires reject all authority and speak against spirit-beings of shining-greatness. ⁹Not even Who Is Like Creator (Michael), who is himself a very powerful spirit-messenger, dared to speak in this way against the evil trickster when they both argued over the body of Drawn from the Water (Moses). Instead he said, “May the Great Spirit Chief rebuke you!” ¹⁰But these bad-hearted ones speak against things they do not understand. They are like wild beasts who do not think but act only on instinct. These things are taking them to a bad end.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

¹¹Sorrow and trouble are coming their way! They are following in the footsteps of Spear Maker (Cain), who out of anger and jealousy killed his own brother.3 In their longing for more possessions they have given themselves over to the greedy ways of People Destroyer (Balaam), a prophet who would have brought a curse on Creator’s people for pay.4 And like Baldheaded Man (Korah), who led an uprising5 against Drawn from the Water (Moses), they will come to the same bad end.

LOST AND WANDERING STARS

¹²These bad-hearted ones have no respect for the love you share when they feast with you at your sacred family gatherings. They are dark spots and stains on your gatherings, caring only for themselves. They are clouds with no rain, blown about by the winds. They are trees that have no fruit at the harvest moon. They are twice dead, with their roots plucked from the ground. ¹³Their shameful ways are like the foam churned up by the storm-tossed waves of the sea. They are lost and wandering stars that have strayed from their proper path in the night sky. A place of deep darkness that goes on and on is kept ready for them.

THE COMING OF OUR HONORED CHIEF

¹⁴It was people like this that Walks with Creator (Enoch), the seventh generation from Red Clay (Adam), prophesied about when he said, “Behold! Our Honored Chief is coming with many thousands of his holy ones. ¹⁵When he comes, he will carry out the decision he has made against the ones who have followed their bad hearts and broken ways. Their shameful ways will be exposed along with all the insulting things they have spoken against the Great Spirit.” ¹⁶These people keep grumbling and complaining, even as they try to satisfy all of their own broken desires. They speak big, boastful words and use flattery to get what they want from others.

END-TIME SCOFFERS

¹⁷But I call on you, my much-loved friends, to remember the words spoken by the message bearers of our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, as they warned us of what was coming. ¹⁸They told you that in the time of the end there would be scoffers who would follow their own selfish desires. ¹⁹They were talking about these troublemakers who turn people against each other—beast-like people—who do not have the Spirit.

STAY ROOTED IN LOVE

²⁰But you, my much-loved friends, use your trust in our sacred and spiritual ways6 to grow even stronger as you pray with the words the Holy Spirit gives you. ²¹Keep yourselves deeply rooted in the love of the Great Spirit, as you keep looking and waiting for the mercy of our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, who gives us the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony.

²²Show this same mercy to some among you who are doubting, ²³and rescue some as if you were snatching them from flames of fire. To others show mercy as you tremble in fear, hating the broken ways that have stained their regalia and ruined their lives.

CLOSING WORDS

²⁴Now to the one who is able to keep you from stumbling, who can make you pure and blameless, so that with great joy you can stand before his bright-shining greatness. ²⁵To the one Great Spirit, who has set us free and made us whole through our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. Bright-shining greatness, beauty, power, and chiefly rule belong to him from the time before all days, today, and to the time beyond the end of all days.