World English Bible · Under Rome
Jude
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Jude, a , and brother of , to those who are called, by , and kept for : May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common , I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the which was once for all to . For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the of our into indecency, and denying our only Master, , and , . Now I to remind you, though you already know this, that , having a people out of the land of , afterward destroyed those who didn't . who didn't keep their first domain, but deserted their own , he has kept in bonds under for the of . Even as and and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange , are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of . Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile , despise , and slander celestial beings. But , the , when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of , dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May rebuke you!" But these speak evil of whatever things they don't know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. Woe to them! For they went in of , and ran riotously in the error of for hire, and in rebellion. These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice , plucked up by the roots; wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own ; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of has been reserved . About these also , the seventh from , prophesied, saying, "Behold, came with ten thousands of his , to execute on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly have spoken against him." These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by of our . They said to you, "In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts." These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having . But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most , praying in . Keep yourselves in love, looking for the mercy of our to . On some have , making a distinction, and some , snatching them out of the with fear, hating even the clothing stained by . Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the of his in great joy, to our , who alone is , be and majesty, and , both now and . .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.
All of Jude