The Book of

OBADIAH

Obadiah

Edom Will Be Brought Down

1 The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says Lord ^{▼▼The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15}Yahweh concerning Edom—

We have heard a report from Yahweh,
And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying,
“Arise! And let us arise against her for battle”—
2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You are greatly despised.
3 “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of ^{▼▼Or Sela}the cliff,
In the height of your habitation,
Who says in his heart,
‘Who will bring me down to earth?’
4 “Though you build loftily like the eagle,
Though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” declares Yahweh.
5 “If thieves came to you,
If ^{▼▼Lit devastators of the night}robbers by night—
Oh how you will be ruined!—
Would they not thieve only ^{▼▼Lit their sufficiency}until they had enough?
If grape gatherers came to you,
Would they not allow some gleanings to remain?
6 “Oh how Esau will be searched out
And his hidden treasures ransacked!
7 “All the men who have ^{▼▼Lit your covenant}a covenant with you
Will send you forth to the border,
And the men at peace with you
Will deceive you and overpower you.
They who eat your bread
Will set an ambush for you.
(There is no discernment ^{▼▼In Esau; or of it}in him.)
8 “Will I not on that day,” declares Yahweh,
“Cause the wise men to perish from Edom
And discernment from the mountain of Esau?
9 “Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman,
So that each one may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.
10 “Because of violence to your brother Jacob,
^{▼▼ Lit Shame will cover you}You will be covered with shame,
And you will be cut off forever.
11 “On the day that you stood aloof,
On the day that strangers took his wealth captive
And foreigners entered his gate
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
You too were as one of them.
12 “Now do not look on your brother’s day with triumph,
The day of his misfortune.
And do not be glad over the sons of Judah
In the day when they perish;
And do not ^{▼▼Lit make your mouth large}let your mouth speak great things
In the day of their distress.
13 “Do not enter the gate of My people
In the day of their disaster.
Indeed, you, do not look on their calamity with triumph
In the day of their disaster.
And do not send out for their wealth
In the day of their disaster.
14 “Do not stand at the fork of the road
To cut down those among them who escape;
And do not deliver over their survivors
In the day of their distress.

The Day of Yahweh Is Near

15 “For the day of Yahweh draws near on all the nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your dealings will return on your own head.
16 “Because just as you all drank on My holy mountain,
All the nations will drink continually.
They will drink and ^{▼▼Or stagger}swallow,
And they will be as if they never were.
17 “But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.
18 “Then the house of Jacob will be a fire
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be as stubble.
And they will set ^{▼▼The people of Esau}them on fire and consume ^{▼▼The people of Esau}them
So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,”
For Yahweh has spoken.

The Kingdom of Yahweh

19 Then those of the ^{▼▼South country}Negev will possess the mountain of Esau,
And those of the ^{▼▼Or lowland}Shephelah, the Philistine plain;
And they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
And Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this ^{▼▼Or rampart}military force 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.
21 And the saviors will ascend Mount Zion
To judge the mountain of Esau,
And the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.