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The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord God says about[a] Edom.

A Message Spreads to the Nations

We have heard news from the Lord, and an envoy has been sent among the nations:

“Get up. Let us rise up against her in battle.”

The Lord’s Message to Edom

Listen, I will make you insignificant among the nations. You will be completely despised.

You who live in the clefts of the rocky cliff,[b] the pride of your heart has deceived you. Your dwelling is so high that you say in your heart, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” Even if you would soar as high as an eagle, and even if your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.

If thieves came to you, if robbers came by night—oh, what disaster awaits you!—wouldn’t they steal only until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn’t they leave some grapes for gleaning? Oh, how completely Esau will be ransacked! His hidden treasures will be searched out and looted!

All your allies will push you back to your border.

Those who were at peace with you will deceive you and overpower you.

Those who eat bread with you will lay a trap for you.

There is no understanding left in Edom.[c]

Will I not destroy the wise men of Edom on that day, declares the Lord? Will I not take away from the mountain of Esau those who have understanding? Your strong warrior, Teman,[d] will be shattered by terror, so that everyone from the mountain of Esau will be cut down by the massacre.

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever. 11 On the day when you stood by and watched, on the day when strangers carried away Jacob’s wealth,[e] 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 on the day of his misfortune.

Do not rejoice over the people of Judah on the day when they are destroyed.

Do not speak proudly on the day of distress.

13 Do not enter the gate of my people on the day of their disaster.

Do not look down on their affliction on the day of their calamity.

Do not seize their wealth on the day of their disaster.

14 Do not stand in the crossroads to cut off those who have escaped.

Do not imprison his survivors on the day of distress.

A Message to All Nations

15 Yes, the Day of the Lord is near for all the nations! As you have done, it will be done to you. Your deeds will return upon your own head. 16 For just as you Edomites[f] have drunk on my holy mountain, so also all the nations will drink continually. Yes, they will drink and guzzle it down, and it will be as though the Edomites never existed.

17 But on Mount Zion, there will be some who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will recapture its territory. 18 The house of Jacob will be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will be stubble. The Israelites[g] set them on fire and consume them. There will not be any survivors for the house of Esau.

Yes, the Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev[h] will take possession of the mountains of Esau, and those from the Shephelah[i] will take possession of the land of the Philistines. They will take possession of the territory[j] of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria. Benjamin will take possession of Gilead. 20 Those from the army of the people of Israel who have been exiles[k] will take possession of the territory of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,[l] and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad[m] will take possession of the cities of the Negev. 21 Saviors[n] will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:1 Or to
  2. Obadiah 1:3 Hebrew sela, also the name of an Edomite city
  3. Obadiah 1:7 Or, taking the phrase with the preceding sentence, and you will not even realize it
  4. Obadiah 1:9 Teman is a city in Edom.
  5. Obadiah 1:11 Or captured Jacob’s army
  6. Obadiah 1:16 The antecedents of the Hebrew pronouns you and they in this verse are uncertain. The translation twice supplies Edomites as the subjects.
  7. Obadiah 1:18 The subject the Israelites is supplied for clarity. The Hebrew text reads they.
  8. Obadiah 1:19 The dry southern wilderness of Judah
  9. Obadiah 1:19 The western foothills of Judah
  10. Obadiah 1:19 Literally fields
  11. Obadiah 1:20 The Hebrew of this verse is difficult.
  12. Obadiah 1:20 A city near the northern border of Israel
  13. Obadiah 1:20 An unknown distant location, perhaps as far away as Spain
  14. Obadiah 1:21 Or, following the ancient versions, those who have been saved

Obadiah’s Vision(A)(B)

The vision(C) of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom(D)

We have heard a message from the Lord:
    An envoy(E) was sent to the nations to say,
“Rise, let us go against her for battle”(F)

“See, I will make you small(G) among the nations;
    you will be utterly despised.
The pride(H) of your heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rocks[a](I)
    and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
    ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’(J)
Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest(K) among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”(L)
declares the Lord.(M)
“If thieves came to you,
    if robbers in the night—
oh, what a disaster awaits you!—
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?(N)
But how Esau will be ransacked,
    his hidden treasures pillaged!
All your allies(O) will force you to the border;
    your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread(P) will set a trap for you,[b]
    but you will not detect it.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “will I not destroy(Q) the wise men of Edom,
    those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Your warriors, Teman,(R) will be terrified,
    and everyone in Esau’s mountains
    will be cut down in the slaughter.
10 Because of the violence(S) against your brother Jacob,(T)
    you will be covered with shame;
    you will be destroyed forever.(U)
11 On the day you stood aloof
    while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
    and cast lots(V) for Jerusalem,
    you were like one of them.(W)
12 You should not gloat(X) over your brother
    in the day of his misfortune,(Y)
nor rejoice(Z) over the people of Judah
    in the day of their destruction,(AA)
nor boast(AB) so much
    in the day of their trouble.(AC)
13 You should not march through the gates of my people
    in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity(AD)
    in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
    in the day of their disaster.
14 You should not wait at the crossroads
    to cut down their fugitives,(AE)
nor hand over their survivors
    in the day of their trouble.

15 “The day of the Lord is near(AF)
    for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
    your deeds(AG) will return upon your own head.
16 Just as you drank(AH) on my holy hill,(AI)
    so all the nations will drink(AJ) continually;
they will drink and drink
    and be as if they had never been.(AK)
17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;(AL)
    it will be holy,(AM)
    and Jacob will possess his inheritance.(AN)
18 Jacob will be a fire
    and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
    and they will set him on fire(AO) and destroy(AP) him.
There will be no survivors(AQ)
    from Esau.”
The Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev will occupy
    the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
    the land of the Philistines.(AR)
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,(AS)
    and Benjamin(AT) will possess Gilead.
20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
    will possess the land as far as Zarephath;(AU)
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
    will possess the towns of the Negev.(AV)
21 Deliverers(AW) will go up on[c] Mount Zion
    to govern the mountains of Esau.
    And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:3 Or of Sela
  2. Obadiah 1:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  3. Obadiah 1:21 Or from