Obadiah wrote this shortest book of the Old Testament probably soon after the armies of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem (586 b.c.). During this conquest, the people of Edom helped capture fleeing Israelites and turn them over to the Babylonians. They even took up residence in some Judean villages. This angered the Lord, for the Edomites, as descendants of Esau, were related to the Israelites (Gen. 25:21-26, 30) and therefore should have helped them. Obadiah prophesied that Edom would be repaid for mistreating God’s people. Obadiah also asserted that God is sovereign over the nations and that the house of Jacob would be restored because of God’s covenant love for his people.

‏ Obadiah

1The vision of Obadiah.

Edom Will Be Humbled

Thus says the Lord God aconcerning Edom:
bWe have heard a report from the Lord,
and a messenger has been sent among the nations:
Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”
2Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
Or  Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly despised

3 dThe pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
Or Sela

in your lofty dwelling,
fwho say in your heart,
Who will bring me down to the ground?”
4Though you soar aloft like the eagle,
though your nest is set among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,

declares the Lord.
5If gthieves came to you,
if plunderers came by night
how you have been destroyed!—
would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If hgrape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave gleanings?
6 iHow Esau has been pillaged,
his treasures sought out!
7All your allies have driven you to your border;
those at peace with you have deceived you;
they have prevailed against you;
jthose who eat your bread
Hebrew lacks  those who eat
have set a trap beneath you—
lyou have
Hebrew he has
no understanding.
8 nWill I not on that day, declares the Lord,
destroy the wise men out of Edom,
and understanding out of oMount Esau?
9And your mighty men shall be dismayed, pO Teman,
so that every man from qMount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

Edom’s Violence Against Jacob

10 rBecause of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
sand you shall be cut off forever.
11 tOn the day that you stood aloof,
uon the day that strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
vand cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
12 wBut do not gloat over the day of your brother
in the day of his misfortune;
xdo not rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their ruin;
ydo not boast
Hebrew  do not enlarge your mouth

in the day of distress.
13 aaDo not enter the gate of my people
in the day of their calamity;
abdo not gloat over his disaster
in the day of his calamity;
acdo not loot his wealth
in the day of his calamity.
14 adDo not stand at the crossroads
to cut off his fugitives;
do not hand over his survivors
in the day of distress.

The Day of the Lord Is Near

15For aethe day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
afAs you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 agFor as you have drunk on ahmy holy mountain,
so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
and shall be as though they had never been.
17 aiBut in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
and it shall be holy,
ajand the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
18 akThe house of Jacob shall be a fire,
and the house of Joseph a flame,
and the house of Esau alstubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
amand there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,

for the Lord has spoken.

The Kingdom of the Lord

19Those of anthe Negeb aoshall possess apMount Esau,
and those of the Shephelah shall possess aqthe land of the Philistines;
they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of arSamaria,
and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20The exiles of this host of the people of Israel
shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as asZarephath,
and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
shall possess the cities of the Negeb.
21 atSaviors shall go up to Mount Zion
to rule auMount Esau,
and avthe kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
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