Obadiah 1

1 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.

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 you small among the nations. You are greatly despised.

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

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?’

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 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.

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

Descendents of Esau, all your treasures are looted.

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. Friends who eat your bread lay a snare under you. 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 “Won’t I in that day”, says Yahweh, “destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 will be those who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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