Obadiah 1

1 The vision of Obadiah. This is what YHWH says about Edom. We have heard news from YHWH, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, "Arise, and let's rise up against her in battle.

This is the vision of Obadiah: This is what the Lord GOD says about Edom— We have heard a message from the LORD; an envoy has been sent among the nations to say, “Rise up, and let us go to battle against her!”—

2 Look, I have made you small among the nations. You are greatly despised.

“Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you will be deeply despised.

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

4 Though you mount on high as the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says YHWH.

Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,”

5 "If thieves came to you, if robbers by night—oh, what disaster awaits you? wouldn't they only steal until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they leave some gleaning grapes?

“If thieves came to you, if robbers by night— oh, how you will be ruined— would they not steal only what they wanted? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings?

6 How Esau will be ransacked. How his hidden treasures are sought out.

But how Esau will be pillaged, his hidden treasures sought out!

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

All the men allied with you will drive you to the border; the men at peace with you will deceive and overpower you. Those who eat your bread will set a trap for you without your awareness of it.

8 "Won't I in that day," says YHWH, "destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?

In that day, declares the LORD, will I not destroy the wise men of Edom and the men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

9 Your mighty men, Teman, will be dismayed, to the end that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.

Then your mighty men, O Teman, will be terrified, so that everyone in the mountains of Esau will be cut down in the slaughter.

10 For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever.

Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and cut off forever.

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

On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them.

12 But do not look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction. Do not speak proudly in the day of distress.

But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress.

13 Do not enter into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Do not look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity.

You should not enter the gate of My people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over their affliction in the day of their disaster, nor loot their wealth in the day of their disaster.

14 Do not stand in the crossroads to cut off those of his who escape. Do not deliver up those of his who remain in the day of distress.

Nor should you stand at the crossroads to cut off their fugitives, nor deliver up their survivors in the day of their distress.

15 For the day of YHWH is near all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your deeds will return upon your own head.

For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.

16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so will all the nations drink continually. Yes, they will drink, swallow down, and will be as though they had not been.

For as you drank on My holy mountain, so all the nations will drink continually. They will drink and gulp it down; they will be as if they had never existed.

17 But in Mount Zion, there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will possess those who dispossessed them.

But on Mount Zion there will be deliverance, and it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will reclaim their possession.

18 The house of Jacob will be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble. They will burn among them, and devour them. There will not be any remaining to the house of Esau." Indeed, YHWH has spoken.

Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire, and the house of Joseph a burning flame; but the house of Esau will be stubble— Jacob will set it ablaze and consume it. Therefore no survivor will remain from the house of Esau.”

19 Those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the lowland, the Philistines. They will possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria. Benjamin will possess Gilead.

Those from the Negev will possess the mountains of Esau; those from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20 The captives of this army of the children of Israel, who are among the Canaanites, will possess even to Zarephath; and the captives of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the Negev.

And the exiles of this host of the Israelites will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.

21 Those who have been saved will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be YHWH's.

The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to rule over the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will belong to the LORD.