1The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord Yahweh concerning Edom — we have heard a report from Yahweh, and an envoy has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”
2Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly despised.
3The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose seat is high, who says in his heart, “Who can bring me down to the ground?”
4Though you soar like the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down — declaration of Yahweh.
5If thieves came to you, if plunderers by night — how you would be ruined! — would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
6How Esau has been ransacked, his hidden treasures searched out!
7To the border they have driven you — all the men of your covenant; those at peace with you have deceived you, they have overpowered you; those who ate your bread set a trap beneath you. There is no understanding in him.
8Will I not on that day — declaration of Yahweh — destroy the wise from Edom, and understanding from the mountain of Esau?
9Then your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, so that everyone will be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.
10Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever.
11On the day you stood aloof, on the day strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots over Jerusalem — you too were like one of them.
12But do not gloat over the day of your brother, on the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the sons of Judah on the day of their destruction; do not speak arrogantly on the day of distress.
13Do not enter the gate of my people on the day of their calamity; do not gloat, you too, over his disaster on the day of his calamity; do not lay hands on his wealth on the day of his calamity.
14Do not stand at the crossroads to cut down his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors on the day of distress.
15For the day of Yahweh is near against all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your dealing will return upon your own head.
16For as you drank on my holy mountain, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and swallow, and they will be as though they had never been.
17But on Mount Zion there will be escape, and it will be holy; and the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.
18The house of Jacob will be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they will kindle against them and consume them, and there will be no survivor for the house of Esau — for Yahweh has spoken.
19Those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the Shephelah the Philistines; they will possess the field of Ephraim and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the Negev.
21And deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.
Open in the interactive reader →