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35 The word of the Eternal came to me with a message for Edom.

Eternal One: Son of man, turn toward Mount Seir and preach against it. Tell the Edomites that this is what the Eternal Lord has to say:

    Pay attention! I oppose you, Mount Seir!
        I will raise My hand against you, strike you,
        and leave you an empty wasteland.
    I will turn your cities to rubble,
        and you will lie desolate and deserted.
    Then you will know that I am the Eternal One.

You held an old grudge against the Israelites, and you handed them over to death and defeat when they were in the midst of disaster, at a crucial moment of their final punishment.

Israel has no more implacable enemy than Edom. As the descendants of Esau, whose brother Jacob stole his birthright and his father’s blessing, the Edomites view the Israelites as illegitimate rulers and thieves. So shortly after Nebuchadnezzar razes Jerusalem in 586 b.c., Edom seizes its opportunity for revenge and swoops in to fill the political vacuum that results. The Edomites are not operating as God’s instruments. They attack Israel out of their own greed, thinking no one is left to oppose them. They are wrong. The land of Israel never belongs to the people themselves; it belongs to God. When the Edomites sneak in to pillage the land of Israel, they find the stewards of the land gone or severely weakened, but the true Owner is at home and is ready to prosecute them for their actions.

Eternal One: As surely as I, the Eternal Lord, live, what you have given, you will receive! I will hand you over to bloodshed, and it will come after you. Because you have been quick to shed blood, I will make your blood flow! I will leave Mount Seir an empty wasteland and destroy any who come and go. I will spread your corpses upon the mountains; all those slaughtered in battle will fill the hills and valleys and riverbeds! I will turn you into an eternal wasteland; your cities and towns will lie empty and silent. Then you will know that I am the Eternal.

10 You keep saying, “We will take possession of these two countries and two nations—Israel and Judah. We will own them.” And you have the nerve to say this right in front of Me! 11 Consequently, as surely as I, the Eternal Lord, live, the rage and jealousy you have shown as a result of your hatred of them will be returned to you. When I judge you, I will show them who I am and remind them they are still mine. 12 When that day arrives, you will know that I, the Eternal One, have overheard all the despicable threats you made against Israel’s mountains: “They’re nothing but rubble! They’re as good as ours; let’s take what we want!” 13 You said so many haughty things against Me, and I heard every word of it.

14 This is what the Eternal God has to say.

Eternal One: While everyone else in the world sings songs and has happy feasts, I will leave you empty and desolate. 15 Since you celebrated the destruction of the land Israel was meant to inherit, I’m going to treat you the same way. O Mount Seir, you and the rest of Edom will be turned into an empty wasteland! Then you will know that I am the Eternal One.

A Prophecy Against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir;(A) prophesy against it and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand(B) against you and make you a desolate waste.(C) I will turn your towns into ruins(D) and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(E)

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword(F) at the time of their calamity,(G) the time their punishment reached its climax,(H) therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed(I) and it will pursue you.(J) Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste(K) and cut off from it all who come and go.(L) I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.(M) I will make you desolate forever;(N) your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(O)

10 “‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession(P) of them,” even though I the Lord was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger(Q) and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.(R) 12 Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.(S) 13 You boasted(T) against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.(U) 14 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.(V) 15 Because you rejoiced(W) when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir,(X) you and all of Edom.(Y) Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Prophecy Against Mount Seir

35 The word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, (B)set your face (C)against (D)Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus says the Lord God: (E)Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and (F)I will stretch out my hand against you, (G)and I will make you a desolation and a waste. (H)I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Because (I)you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword (J)at the time of their calamity, (K)at the time of their final punishment, therefore, (L)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; (M)because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. (N)I will make Mount Seir a waste (O)and a desolation, and I will cut off from it (P)all who come and go. And I will fill (Q)its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all (R)your ravines (S)those slain with the sword shall fall. (T)I will make you a perpetual desolation, and (U)your cities shall not be inhabited. Then (V)you will know that I am the Lord.

10 “Because you said, (W)‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and (X)we will take possession of them’—although the (Y)Lord was there— 11 therefore, (Z)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you (AA)according to the anger and (AB)envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And (AC)I will make myself known among them, when I judge you. 12 And you shall know that I am the Lord.

(AD)“I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate; (AE)they are given us to devour.’ 13 And (AF)you magnified yourselves against me (AG)with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it. 14 Thus says the Lord God: (AH)While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. 15 As you (AI)rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, (AJ)Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then (AK)they will know that I am the Lord.