Obadiah 1

1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the lord Jehovah concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from Jehovah, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

The vision of Obadiah; what the Lord said about Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, a messenger has been sent among the nations; Rise up, let us rise against Edom in battle!

2 Behold, I have made thee small among the nations. Thou are greatly despised.

I will make you small among the nations, and despised by all!

3 The pride of thy heart has deceived thee, O thou who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

Your proud heart has misled you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, you who build on high your dwelling. You say to yourselves, “Who can bring me down to earth?”

4 Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set among the stars, I will bring thee down from there, says Jehovah.

Though you build high as the eagle, though between the stars you set your nest, from there will I bring you down, says the Lord.

5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night (how thou are cut off!), would they not steal only till they had enough? If grape gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes?

If thieves had come to you, marauders by night would they not have stolen only as much as they needed? If grape-gatherers had come to you would they not have left some gleanings?

6 How are the things of Esau searched! How are his hidden treasures sought out!

Descendents of Esau, all your treasures are looted.

7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee on thy way, even to the border. The men who were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee. Those who eat thy bread lay a snare under thee. There is no understanding in him.

To your border they have driven you, all your allies have betrayed you. Your avowed friends have overpowered you, they have set a trap for you. Where is your wisdom now?

8 Shall I not in that day, says Jehovah, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

The Lord says: On that day, I will destroy the wise of Edom, drive wisdom out of Mount Esau.

9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter.

Your warriors will be filled with terror, Teman, none will be left alive on Mount Esau.

10 Shame shall cover thee for the violence done to thy brother Jacob, and thou shall be cut off forever.

Because of the violence done to your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame covers you, you are cut off forever.

11 In the day that thou stood on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou were as one of them.

In the day when you stood aloof, in the day when strangers carried away their wealth, and strangers entered into their gates, and over Jerusalem cast lots, you were as one of those strangers.

12 But look not thou on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, and rejoice not over the sons of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor speak proudly in the day of distress.

You should not have gloated over your relatives, in the day of their misfortune. You should not have exulted over the land of Judah in the day of their destruction. You should not have laughed loudly at their distress.

13 Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor lay ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.

You should not have entered in at the gate of my people in the day of their disaster. You should not have gloated over their calamity, in the day of their disaster, nor stretched out your hand after their wealth in the day of their disaster,

14 And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his who escape, and deliver not up those of his who remain in the day of distress.

nor stood at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor should you have betrayed their refugees in the day of distress.

15 For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations. As thou have done, it shall be done to thee. Thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.

Near at hand is the Lord’s day for all the nations. As you have done so will it be done to you. Your deeds will come back on your own head.

16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually. Yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been.

As you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so all the nations will drink in turn; They will drink deep and be as though they had not been.

17 But in mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

But on Mount Zion some will escape, it will be again holy, and those of the house of Jacob will again enter into their possessions.

18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble. And they shall burn among them, and devour them, and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau, for Jehovah has spoken it.

For the house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will become stubble. They will kindle and devour it. Not even one of the house of Esau will escape, for the Lord has spoken.

19 And those of the South shall possess the mount of Esau, and those of the lowland the Philistines. And they shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

They will possess the Negeb and Mount Esau, and the Shephelah of the Philistines. They will possess the territory of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20 And the captives of this host of the sons of Israel, who are among the Canaanites, shall possess even to Zarephath. And the captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South.

The exiles of Israel will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negreb.

21 And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be Jehovah's.

The rescued will come up on Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom will belong to the Lord.