Obadiah 1-7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Edom’s Fall Decreed
1 The vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom:
We have heard a message from the Lord,
and a herald has been sent among the nations:
“Rise up, so we may go to war against it!”(A)
2 Now I make you least among the nations;
you are utterly contemptible.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you—
you who dwell in mountain crevices,
in your lofty home,[a]
Who say in your heart,
“Who will bring me down to earth?”
4 Though you soar like the eagle,
and your nest is set among the stars,
From there I will bring you down—
oracle of the Lord.
5 If thieves came to you, robbers by night
—how you have been destroyed!—
would they not steal merely till they had enough?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave some gleanings?[b](B)
6 [c]How Esau has been searched out,
his treasures hunted down!
7 To the border they have driven you—
all your allies;
Your partners have deceived you,
they have overpowered you;
Those who eat your bread[d]
will replace you with foreigners,
who have no understanding.
Footnotes
- 3 Edom occupied the mountains southeast of Israel and the Dead Sea.
- 5 Something of value may escape the thief, and the grape picker always leaves something for the gleaners, but God’s devastation of Edom will be complete.
- 6 With the past tense in vv. 5–7, the prophet presents a future event as if it had already happened.
- 7 Those who eat your bread: alliances were often established by covenant meals (cf. Gn 31:44–46). When Edom is destroyed, foreigners will replace the Edomites, who were known for wisdom (cf. v. 8; Jer 49:7; Jb 2:11).
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.