Obadiah 1

1 The vision of Obadiah, —Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, concerning Edom—A rumour, have we heard from Yahweh, and, a herald, throughout the nations, hath been sent, Up! and let us rise against her to war.

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

2 Lo! small, have I made thee, among the nations—Despised art thou exceedingly!

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

3 The insolence of thy heart, hath deceived thee, O thou that inhabitest the retreats of the crag, the height of his habitation, —that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

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?’

4 Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.

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 Yahweh.

5 If, thieves, had come to thee, if robbers by night—how ruined thou art! Would they not have stolen what sufficed them? If, grape-gatherers, had come to thee, Would they not have left gleanings?

“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?

6 How have the things of Esau been searched out! his treasures been sought up!

How Esau will be ransacked! How his hidden treasures are sought out!

7 Up to the boundary, have they sent thee—All thy covenant men, they have deceived thee, prevailed against thee—the men thou wast wont to salute, —The partakers of thy bread, have put a net under thee—No understanding in him!

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. Friends who eat your bread lay a snare under you. There is no understanding in him.”

8 Shall it not be, in that day, Demandeth Yahweh, —That I will destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?

“Won’t I in that day”, says Yahweh, “destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?

9 So shall thy mighty men, O Teman, be dismayed, —to the intent that every man, may be cut off, out of Mount Esau, by slaughter.

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

10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob, shall shame, cover thee, —so shalt thou be cut off, to times age-abiding.

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

11 In the day when thou didst take thy stand over against him, in the day when foreigners took captive his forces, —and, aliens, entered his gates, and, over Jerusalem, cast lots, even thou, wast like one of them!

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.

12 Do not, then, look with satisfaction upon the day of thy brother, upon the day of his calamity, Neither rejoice over the sons of Judah—in the day of their ruin, —nor enlarge thy mouth—in the day of distress:

But don’t look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and don’t rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Don’t speak proudly in the day of distress.

13 Do not enter into the gate of my people—in the day of their misfortune, Do not, thou also, look with satisfaction on his misery—in the day of his misfortune; neither do thou thrust [thy hands] on his substance—in the day of his misfortune;

Don’t enter into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Don’t look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity.

14 Neither do thou stand at the parting of the way, to cut off his fugitives, —neither do thou deliver up his survivors—in the day of distress.

Don’t stand in the crossroads to cut off those of his who escape. Don’t deliver up those of his who remain in the day of distress.

15 For, near, is the day of Yahweh, upon all the nations, —Just as thou hast done, shall it be done to thee, Thy dealing, shall come back upon thine own head.

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

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

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

17 But, in Mount Zion, shall be a delivered remnant which shall be holy, —and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions;

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

18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, with the house of Esau for stubble, So shall they kindle upon them, and devour them, —and there shall be no survivor to the house of Esau, for, Yahweh, hath spoken.

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, Yahweh has spoken.

19 Then shall they of the South possess Mount Esau, and they of the Lowlands, the Philistines, and they [of the Mountain] shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria, —and Benjamin [shall possess] Gilead;

Those of the South 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.

20 And, they of the captivity of this force pertaining to the sons of Israel, [shall possess] that of the Canaanites, up to Zarephath, and, they of the captivity of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.

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.

21 And saviours shall come up in Mount Zion, to judge the mountain of Esau, —So shall the kingdom, belong unto Yahweh.

Saviors will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be Yahweh’s.