Obadiah 1

1 The vision of Obadiah, —Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, concerning Edom—A rumour, have we heard from Yahweh, and, a herald, throughout the nations, hath been sent, Up! and let us rise against her to war.

The vision of Obadiah. The Lord Yahweh says this concerning Edom: We have heard a report from Yahweh and an ambassador has been sent among the nations, saying, “Rise up! Let us rise up against her for battle!”

2 Lo! small, have I made thee, among the nations—Despised art thou exceedingly!

Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you will be greatly despised.

3 The insolence of thy heart, hath deceived thee, O thou that inhabitest the retreats of the crag, the height of his habitation, —that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty home; who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

4 Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.

Though you soar high like the eagle and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says Yahweh.

5 If, thieves, had come to thee, if robbers by night—how ruined thou art! Would they not have stolen what sufficed them? If, grape-gatherers, had come to thee, Would they not have left gleanings?

If thieves came to you, if robbers came by night—how you will be ruined!—would they not steal only as much as they needed? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave the gleanings?

6 How have the things of Esau been searched out! his treasures been sought up!

How Esau has been ransacked, his hidden treasures will be searched out!

7 Up to the boundary, have they sent thee—All thy covenant men, they have deceived thee, prevailed against thee—the men thou wast wont to salute, —The partakers of thy bread, have put a net under thee—No understanding in him!

All the men of your alliance will send you on your way to the border. The men who were at peace with you have deceived you, and prevailed against you. They who eat your bread have set a trap under you. There is no understanding in him.

8 Shall it not be, in that day, Demandeth Yahweh, —That I will destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?

“Will I not on that day,” says Yahweh, “destroy the wise men from Edom and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?

9 So shall thy mighty men, O Teman, be dismayed, —to the intent that every man, may be cut off, out of Mount Esau, by slaughter.

Your mighty men will be dismayed, Teman, so that every man may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.

10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob, shall shame, cover thee, —so shalt thou be cut off, to times age-abiding.

Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever.

11 In the day when thou didst take thy stand over against him, in the day when foreigners took captive his forces, —and, aliens, entered his gates, and, over Jerusalem, cast lots, even thou, wast like one of them!

On the day you stood aloof, on the day strangers carried away his wealth, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

12 Do not, then, look with satisfaction upon the day of thy brother, upon the day of his calamity, Neither rejoice over the sons of Judah—in the day of their ruin, —nor enlarge thy mouth—in the day of distress:

But do not gloat over your brother's day, in the day of his misfortune, and do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction; do not boast in the day of their distress.

13 Do not enter into the gate of my people—in the day of their misfortune, Do not, thou also, look with satisfaction on his misery—in the day of his misfortune; neither do thou thrust [thy hands] on his substance—in the day of his misfortune;

Do not enter my people's gate in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over their affliction in the day of their disaster, do not loot their wealth in the day of their ruin.

14 Neither do thou stand at the parting of the way, to cut off his fugitives, —neither do thou deliver up his survivors—in the day of distress.

Do not stand at the crossroads to cut down his fugitives, and do not deliver up his survivors in the day of distress.

15 For, near, is the day of Yahweh, upon all the nations, —Just as thou hast done, shall it be done to thee, Thy dealing, shall come back upon thine own head.

For the day of Yahweh is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return on your own head.

16 For, as ye have drunk on my holy mountain, all the nations shall drink continually, —Yea they shall drink and swallow down, and shall be, as though they had not been.

For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so will all the nations drink continually. They will drink and swallow and it will be as though they had never existed.

17 But, in Mount Zion, shall be a delivered remnant which shall be holy, —and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions;

But in Mount Zion there will be those that escape and it will be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, with the house of Esau for stubble, So shall they kindle upon them, and devour them, —and there shall be no survivor to the house of Esau, for, Yahweh, hath spoken.

The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will burn them, and consume them. There will be no survivors to the house of Esau, for Yahweh has spoken it.”

19 Then shall they of the South possess Mount Esau, and they of the Lowlands, the Philistines, and they [of the Mountain] shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria, —and Benjamin [shall possess] Gilead;

Those from the Negev will possess the mount of Esau and those of the Shepelah will possess the land of the Philistines. They will possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria; and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20 And, they of the captivity of this force pertaining to the sons of Israel, [shall possess] that of the Canaanites, up to Zarephath, and, they of the captivity of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.

The exiles of this host of the people of Israel will possess the land of Canaan as far as Zarephath. The exiles of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the Negev.

21 And saviours shall come up in Mount Zion, to judge the mountain of Esau, —So shall the kingdom, belong unto Yahweh.

Deliverers will go up to Mount Zion to rule over the hill country of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.