If thieves came to you,(A)
if marauders by night—
how ravaged you would be!—
wouldn’t they steal only what they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
wouldn’t they leave some grapes?(B)
How Esau will be pillaged,(C)
his hidden treasures searched out!(D)
Everyone who has a treaty with you(E)
will drive you to the border;
everyone at peace with you
will deceive and conquer you.
Those who eat your bread(F)
will set[a] a trap for you.
He will be unaware of it.(G)
In that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
will I not eliminate the wise ones of Edom(H)
and those who understand
from the hill country of Esau?
Teman,[b](I) your warriors(J) will be terrified
so that everyone from the hill country of Esau
will be destroyed by slaughter.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:7 Some LXX mss, Sym, Tg, Vg; MT reads They will set your bread as
  2. Obadiah 1:9 = a region or city in Edom

The Harvest from Edom’s Arrogance

“If thieves came against you,
    if marauding gangs by night
        —Oh, how you will be destroyed!—
Would they not steal only until they had enough?
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave some[a] grapes to be gleaned?

“Oh, how Esau is ransacked,
    how his hidden treasures are thoroughly[b] searched out!
All your allies will force you out of the land,[c]
    your associates will deceive you and prevail against you.
Your friends[d] will lay out a trap for you,
    and you will[e] never understand it!

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “will I not destroy the wise from Edom,
    and those with understanding from Esau’s Mountain?
Teman, our mighty soldiers will be dismayed,
    so that every man from Esau’s Mountain will be slaughtered.”[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:5 The Heb. lacks some
  2. Obadiah 1:6 The Heb. lacks thoroughly
  3. Obadiah 1:7 Lit. out to the border
  4. Obadiah 1:7 Lit. Your bread; i.e. those who eat your bread
  5. Obadiah 1:7 The Heb. lacks you will
  6. Obadiah 1:9 Lit. will be cut off by slaughter