Obadiah 1

1The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

2Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

3The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

4Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

5If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?footnote a

6How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

7All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.footnote bfootnote cfootnote d

8Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

9And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

10For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

11In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.footnote e

12But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.footnote f

13Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;footnote g

14Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.footnote h

15For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

16For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.footnote i

17But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.footnote jfootnote k

18And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

19And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

20And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.footnote l

21And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.

The Destruction of Edom

1This is the vision of Obadiah:This is what the Lord GOD says about Edom—We have heard a message from the LORD;an envoy has been sent among the nationsto say, “Rise up,and let us go to battle against her!”—

2“Behold, I will make you small among the nations;you will be deeply despised. 3The pride of your heart has deceived you,O dwellers in the clefts of the rocksfootnote awhose habitation is the heights,who say in your heart,‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ 4Though you soar like the eagleand make your nest among the stars,even from there I will bring you down,”declares the LORD. 5“If thieves came to you,if robbers by night—oh, how you will be ruined—would they not steal only what they wanted?If grape gatherers came to you,would they not leave some gleanings? 6But how Esau will be pillaged,his hidden treasures sought out! 7All the men allied with youwill drive you to the border;the men at peace with youwill deceive and overpower you.Those who eat your breadfootnote bwill set a trap for youwithout your awareness of it. 8In that day, declares the LORD,will I not destroy the wise men of Edomand the men of understandingin the mountains of Esau? 9Then your mighty men, O Teman,will be terrified,so that everyone in the mountains of Esauwill be cut down in the slaughter.

10Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,you will be covered with shameand cut off forever. 11On the day you stood aloofwhile strangers carried off his wealthand foreigners entered his gateand cast lots for Jerusalem,you were just like one of them. 12But you should not gloat in that day,your brother’s day of misfortune,nor rejoice over the people of Judahin the day of their destruction,nor boast proudlyfootnote cin the day of their distress. 13You should not enter the gate of My peoplein the day of their disaster,nor gloat over their afflictionin the day of their disaster,nor loot their wealthin the day of their disaster. 14Nor should you stand at the crossroadsto cut off their fugitives,nor deliver up their survivorsin the day of their distress.

The Deliverance of Israel

15For the Day of the LORD is nearfor all the nations.As you have done, it will be done to you;your recompense 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 gulp it down;they will be as if they had never existed. 17But on Mount Zion there will be deliverance,and it will be holy,and the house of Jacobwill reclaim their possession. 18Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire,and the house of Joseph a burning flame;but the house of Esau will be stubble—Jacob will set it ablaze and consume it.Therefore no survivor will remainfrom the house of Esau.”For the LORD has spoken. 19Those from the Negev will possess the mountains of Esau;those from the foothillsfootnote dwill possess the land of the Philistines.They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,and Benjamin will possess Gilead. 20And the exiles of this host of the Israeliteswill possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath;and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharadwill possess the cities of the Negev. 21The deliverers will ascendfootnote eMount Zionto rule over the mountains of Esau.And the kingdom will belong to the LORD.