Remember, Lord, what the Edomites said
that day[a] at Jerusalem:
“Destroy it! Destroy it
down to its foundations!”(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 137:7 The day Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 b.c.

Remember, Lord, what the Edomites(A) did
    on the day Jerusalem fell.(B)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
    “tear it down to its foundations!”(C)

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The Judgment of Edom

When My sword has drunk its fill[a](A) in the heavens,
it will then come down on Edom(B)
and on the people I have set apart for destruction.
The Lord’s sword is covered with blood.
It drips with fat,
with the blood of lambs and goats,
with the fat of the kidneys of rams.(C)
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,(D)
a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 34:5 DSS read sword will appear

My sword(A) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(B)
    the people I have totally destroyed.(C)
The sword(D) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(E) in Bozrah(F)
    and a great slaughter(G) in the land of Edom.

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Judgment against Edom

12 This is what the Lord God says: “Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah(A) and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them, 13 therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off both man and animal from it. I will make it a wasteland; they will fall by the sword from Teman to Dedan. 14 I will take My vengeance(B) on Edom through My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. So they will know My vengeance.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

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A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(A) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand(B) against Edom and kill both man and beast.(C) I will lay it waste, and from Teman(D) to Dedan(E) they will fall by the sword.(F) 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger(G) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”(H)

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A Prophecy against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, turn your face toward Mount Seir(A) and prophesy against it. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says:

Look! I am against you, Mount Seir.
I will stretch out My hand against you
and make you a desolate waste.(B)
I will turn your cities into ruins,
and you will become a desolation.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

“Because you maintained an ancient hatred(C) and handed over the Israelites to the power of the sword in the time of their disaster, the time of final punishment,(D) therefore, as I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“I will destine you for bloodshed, and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.(E) I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and will cut off from it those who come and go.(F) I will fill its mountains with the slain;(G) those slain by the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines. I will make you a perpetual desolation; your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

10 “Because you said, ‘These two nations and two lands will be mine, and we will possess them’—though the Lord was there(H) 11 therefore, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I will treat you according to the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them. I will make Myself known among them[a] when I judge you. 12 Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all the blasphemies you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate. They have been given to us to devour!’ 13 You boasted against Me(I) with your mouth, and spoke many words against Me. I heard it Myself!

14 “This is what the Lord God says: While the whole world rejoices, I will make you a desolation. 15 Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it became a desolation, so I will deal with you: you will become a desolation, Mount Seir, and so will all Edom in its entirety. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 35:11 LXX reads you

A Prophecy Against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir;(A) prophesy against it and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand(B) against you and make you a desolate waste.(C) I will turn your towns into ruins(D) and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(E)

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword(F) at the time of their calamity,(G) the time their punishment reached its climax,(H) therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed(I) and it will pursue you.(J) Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste(K) and cut off from it all who come and go.(L) I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.(M) I will make you desolate forever;(N) your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(O)

10 “‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession(P) of them,” even though I the Lord was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger(Q) and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.(R) 12 Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.(S) 13 You boasted(T) against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.(U) 14 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.(V) 15 Because you rejoiced(W) when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir,(X) you and all of Edom.(Y) Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

The vision of Obadiah.

Edom’s Certain Judgment

This is what the Lord God has said about Edom:(A)

We have heard a message from the Lord;(B)
a messenger has been sent(C) among the nations:
“Rise up,(D) and let us go to war against her.”[a]
Look, I will make you insignificant(E)
among the nations;
you will be deeply despised.
Your presumptuous heart has deceived you,(F)
you who live in clefts of the rock[b][c](G)
in your home on the heights,
who say to yourself,
“Who can bring me down to the ground?”(H)
Though you seem to soar[d] like an eagle(I)
and make your nest among the stars,(J)
even from there I will bring you down.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

If thieves came to you,(K)
if marauders by night—
how ravaged you would be!—
wouldn’t they steal only what they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
wouldn’t they leave some grapes?(L)
How Esau will be pillaged,(M)
his hidden treasures searched out!(N)
Everyone who has a treaty with you(O)
will drive you to the border;
everyone at peace with you
will deceive and conquer you.
Those who eat your bread(P)
will set[e] a trap for you.
He will be unaware of it.(Q)
In that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
will I not eliminate the wise ones of Edom(R)
and those who understand
from the hill country of Esau?
Teman,[f](S) your warriors(T) will be terrified
so that everyone from the hill country of Esau
will be destroyed by slaughter.(U)

Edom’s Sins against Judah

10 You will be covered with shame
and destroyed forever
because of violence done to your brother Jacob.(V)
11 On the day you stood aloof,(W)
on the day strangers captured his wealth,[g]
while foreigners entered his gate
and cast lots for Jerusalem,(X)
you were just like one of them.(Y)
12 Do not[h] gloat over your brother(Z)
in the day of his calamity;
do not rejoice over the people of Judah(AA)
in the day of their destruction;
do not boastfully mock[i](AB)
in the day of distress.(AC)
13 Do not enter the gate of My people
in the day of their disaster.(AD)
Yes, you—do not gloat over their misery
in the day of their disaster
and do not appropriate their possessions(AE)
in the day of their disaster.
14 Do not stand at the crossroads[j](AF)
to cut off their fugitives,
and do not hand over their survivors
in the day of distress.

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Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:1 = Edom
  2. Obadiah 1:3 Or in Sela; probably = Petra
  3. Obadiah 1:3 Probably Petra
  4. Obadiah 1:4 Or to build high
  5. Obadiah 1:7 Some LXX mss, Sym, Tg, Vg; MT reads They will set your bread as
  6. Obadiah 1:9 = a region or city in Edom
  7. Obadiah 1:11 Or forces
  8. Obadiah 1:12 Or You should not throughout vv. 12-14
  9. Obadiah 1:12 Lit not make your mouth big
  10. Obadiah 1:14 Hb obscure

Obadiah’s Vision(A)(B)

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.
10 Because of the violence(S) against your brother Jacob,(T)
    you will be covered with shame;
    you will be destroyed forever.(U)
11 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)
12 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)
13 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.
14 You should not wait at the crossroads
    to cut down their fugitives,(AE)
nor hand over their survivors
    in the day of their trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Obadiah 1:3 Or of Sela
  2. Obadiah 1:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

“I have loved you,”(A) says the Lord.

But you ask: “How have You loved us?”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?”(B) This is the Lord’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.(C) I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”(D)

Though Edom says: “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild[a] the ruins,” the Lord of Hosts says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country(E) and the people the Lord has cursed[b] forever.(F) Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The Lord is great, even beyond[c] the borders of Israel.’(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 1:4 Or will return and build
  2. Malachi 1:4 Or Lord is angry with
  3. Malachi 1:5 Or great over

Israel Doubts God’s Love

“I have loved(A) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,(B) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,(C) but Esau I have hated,(D) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland(E) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.(F)

Edom(G) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild(H) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.(I) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.(J) You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great(K) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’(L)

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