Study Desk

The vision^(c) of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom^(d)— We have heard a message from the Lord : An envoy^(e) was sent to the nations to say, "Rise, let us go against her for battle"^(f)—

"See, I will make you small^(g) among the nations; you will be utterly despised.

The pride^(h) of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks^[a](i) and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?'^(j)

Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest^(k) among the stars, from there I will bring you down,"^(l) declares the Lord .^(m)

"If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night— oh, what a disaster awaits you!— would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes?⁽ⁿ⁾

But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!

All your allies^(o) will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread^(p) will set a trap for you,^[b] but you will not detect it.

"In that day," declares the Lord , "will I not destroy^(q) the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

Your warriors, Teman,^(r) will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter.

Because of the violence^(s) against your brother Jacob,^(t) you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.^(u)

On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots^(v) for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.^(w)

You should not gloat^(x) over your brother in the day of his misfortune,^(y) nor rejoice^(z) over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction,^(aa) nor boast^(ab) so much in the day of their trouble.^(ac)

You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity^(ad) in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.

You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives,^(ae) nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.

"The day of the Lord is near^(af) for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds^(ag) will return upon your own head.

Just as you drank^(ah) on my holy hill,^(ai) so all the nations will drink^(aj) continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.^(ak)

But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;^(al) it will be holy,^(am) and Jacob will possess his inheritance.^(an)

Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire^(ao) and destroy^(ap) him. There will be no survivors^(aq) from Esau." The Lord has spoken.

People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines.^(ar) They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,^(as) and Benjamin^(at) will possess Gilead.

This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath;^(au) the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev.^(av)

Deliverers^(aw) will go up on^[c] Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord 's.^(ax)