1 T he 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.

The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent forth among the nations, Arise, and let us rise up against for battle!

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

Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be despised exceedingly.

3 T he 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?

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you dweller in the refuges of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, Who can bring me down to the ground?

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

Though you mount on high as the eagle and though you set your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord.

5 I f 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?

If thieves came to you, if robbers by night—how you are brought to nothing!—would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some grapes for gleaning?

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

How are the things of Esau searched out! How are his hidden treasures sought out!

7 A ll 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.

All the men of your confederacy (your allies) have brought you on your way, even to the border; the men who were at peace with you have deceived you and prevailed against you; they who eat your bread have laid a snare under you. There is no understanding of it.

8 S hall 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 not I in that day, says the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out of Mount Esau ?

9 A nd 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.

And your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

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

For the violence you did against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

11 I n 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.

On the day that you stood aloof —on the day that strangers took captive his forces and carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered into his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem—you were even as one of them.

12 B ut 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.

But you should not have gloated over your brother’s day, the day when his misfortune came and he was made a stranger; you should not have rejoiced over the sons of Judah in the day of their ruin; you should not have spoken arrogantly in the day of their distress.

13 T hou 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;

You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity and ruin; yes, you should not have looked on their misery in the day of their calamity and ruin, and not have reached after their army and their possessions in the day of their calamity and ruin.

14 n either 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.

And you should not have stood at the crossway to cut off those of Judah who escaped, neither should you have delivered up those who remained in the day of distress.

15 F or 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.

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

16 F or 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.

For as you have drunk upon the mountain of My holiness, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, talk foolishly, and swallow down and they shall be as though they had not been.

17 B ut upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess its possessions.

18 A nd 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 shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle and burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it.

19 A nd 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.

They of the South (the Negeb) shall possess Mount Esau, and they of the lowland the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

20 A nd 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.

And the exiles of this host of the children of Israel who are among the Canaanites shall possess as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South (the Negeb).

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

And deliverers shall go up on Mount Zion to rule and judge Mount Esau, and the kingdom and the kingship shall be the Lord’s.