Obadiah 1

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

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

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

3 The pride of thy 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?

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

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 came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave [some] grapes?

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 are [the things] of Esau searched out! [how] are his hidden things sought!

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

7 All 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] 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 I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise [men] out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

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

9 And 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.

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 shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

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 that thou stoodst 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.

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 But thou shouldst not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldst thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldst thou have spoken proudly 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 Thou shouldst not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yes, thou shouldst 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;

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 shouldst thou have stood in the cross-way, to cut off those of his that escaped; neither shouldst thou have delivered up those of his that remained 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 the day of the LORD [is] near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done to thee: thy reward shall return upon thy 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 drank upon my holy mountain, [so] shall all the heathen drink continually, yes, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they 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 upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their 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, 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].

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 And [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.

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 the captivity of this host of the children of Israel [shall possess] that of the Canaanites, [even] to Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which [is] 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 saviors shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

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