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The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord[a] Yahweh[b] 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. Behold,[c] I have made you small among the nations. You are greatly despised. 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?’ 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. “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? How Esau will be ransacked! How his hidden treasures are sought out! 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.”

“Won’t I in that day”, says Yahweh, “destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau? 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 the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 17 But in Mount Zion, there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will possess 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.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
  2. 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  3. 1:2 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

Proud Edom Will Be Brought Low

The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom:
We have heard a report from the Lord,
    and a messenger has been sent among the nations:
“Rise up! Let us rise against it for battle!”(A)
I will surely make you least among the nations;
    you shall be utterly despised.
Your proud heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rock,[a]
    whose dwelling is in the heights.
You say in your heart,
    “Who will bring me down to the ground?”(B)
Though you soar aloft like the eagle,
    though your nest is set among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,
            says the Lord.(C)

Pillage and Slaughter Will Repay Edom’s Cruelty

If thieves came to you,
    if plunderers by night
    —how you have been destroyed!—
    would they not steal only what they wanted?
If grape gatherers came to you,
    would they not leave gleanings?(D)
How Esau has been pillaged,
    his treasures searched out!
All your allies have deceived you;
    they have driven you to the border;
your confederates have prevailed against you;
    those who ate your food have set a trap for you—
    there is no understanding.(E)
On that day, says the Lord,
    I will destroy the wise out of Edom
    and understanding out of Mount Esau.(F)
Your warriors shall be shattered, O Teman,
    so that everyone from Mount Esau will be cut off.(G)

Edom Mistreated His Brother

10 For the slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob,
    shame shall cover you,
    and you shall be cut off forever.(H)
11 On the day that you stood aside,
    on the day that strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
    and cast lots for Jerusalem,
    you, too, were one of them.(I)
12 But you should not have gloated over[b] your brother
    on the day of his misfortune;
you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah
    on the day of their ruin;
you should not have boasted
    on the day of distress.(J)
13 You should not have entered the gate of my people
    on the day of their calamity;
you should not have joined in the gloating over Judah’s[c] disaster
    on the day of his calamity;
you should not have stolen his goods
    on the day of his calamity.(K)
14 You should not have stood at the crossings
    to cut off his fugitives;
you should not have handed over his survivors
    on the day of distress.

15 For the day of the Lord is near against all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
    your deeds shall return on your own head.(L)
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
    all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and gulp down[d]
    and shall be as though they had never been.(M)

Israel’s Final Triumph

17 But on Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
    and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall take possession of those who dispossessed them.(N)
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
    the house of Joseph a flame,
    and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
    and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau,
            for the Lord has spoken.(O)
19 Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau,
    and those of the Shephelah the land of the Philistines;
they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria,
    and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.(P)
20 The exiles of the Israelites who are in Halah[e]
    shall possess[f] Phoenicia as far as Zarephath,
and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
    shall possess the towns of the Negeb.(Q)
21 Those who have been saved[g] shall go up to Mount Zion
    to rule Mount Esau,
    and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. 3 Or clefts of Sela
  2. 12 Heb on the day of
  3. 13 Heb his
  4. 16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. 20 Cn: Heb in this army
  6. 20 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  7. 21 Gk Syr: Heb Saviors