God’s Judgment on Edom

1The vision that Obadiah saw.

The Lord God says this concerning Edom:

Edom’s Approaching Destruction

We have heard a report from the Lord.

An envoy was sent among the nations, saying,

“Arise! Let us make war against Edom!”

2The Lord says, “Look! I will make you a weak nation;

you will be greatly despised!

3Your presumptuous heart has deceived you –

you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs,

whose home is high in the mountains.

You think to yourself,

‘No one can bring me down to the ground!’

4Even if you were to soar high like an eagle,

even if you were to make your nest among the stars,

I can bring you down even from there!” says the Lord.

5“If thieves came to rob you during the night,

they would steal only as much as they wanted!

If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards,

they would leave some behind for the poor!

But you will be totally destroyed!

6How the people of Esau will be thoroughly plundered!

Their hidden valuables will be ransacked!

7All your allies will force you from your homeland!

Your treaty partners will deceive you and overpower you.

Your trusted friends will set an ambush for you

that will take you by surprise!

8At that time,” the Lord says,

“I will destroy the wise sages of Edom!

the advisers from Esau’s mountain!

9Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman,

so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain!

Edom’s Treachery Against Judah

10“Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob,

shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever.

11You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive,

and foreigners advanced to his gates.

When they cast lots over Jerusalem,

you behaved as though you were in league with them.

12You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity.

You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed.

You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity.

13You should not have entered the city of my people when they experienced distress.

You should not have joined in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress.

You should not have looted their wealth when they endured distress.

14You should not have stood at the fork in the road to slaughter those trying to escape.

You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity.

The Coming Day of the Lord

15“For the day of the Lord is approaching for all the nations!

Just as you have done, so it will be done to you.

You will get exactly what your deeds deserve.

16For just as you have drunk on my holy mountain,

so all the nations will drink continually.

They will drink, and they will gulp down;

they will be as though they had never been.

17But on Mount Zion there will be a remnant of those who escape,

and it will be a holy place once again.

The descendants of Jacob will conquer

those who had conquered them.

18The descendants of Jacob will be a fire,

and the descendants of Joseph a flame.

The descendants of Esau will be like stubble.

They will burn them up and devour them.

There will not be a single survivor of the descendants of Esau!”

Indeed, the Lord has spoken it.

19The people of the Negev will take possession of Esau’s mountain,

and the people of the Shephelah will take

possession of the land of the Philistines.

They will also take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,

and the people of Benjamin will take possession of Gilead.

20The exiles of this fortress of the people of Israel

will take possession of what belongs to

the people of Canaan, as far as Zarephath,

and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

will take possession of the towns of the Negev.

21Those who have been delivered will go up on Mount Zion

in order to rule over Esau’s mountain.

Then the Lord will reign as King!