Obadiah

1 The vision of Obadiah: This is a message, says the Lord of lords, concerning Edom. There is a report from the presence of Mar-Yah, and a messenger has been sent to the nations, saying: Rise up! Rise up against her in battle:

2 Look, I have made you small here between the nations; you will be very despised.

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you that live in the opening of the rock, who dwell in the heights, that says in his heart: Who will demolish me to the earth?

4 Although you go up as an eagle, and although you put your nest in the midst of stars, I will destroy you there - declares Mar-Yah.

5 If thieves or robbers had come to you at night, how would you remain shut up until they had robbed what was enough for them? If they had come before you as vineyard-keepers, would they not have left gleanings (to carefully search and gather)?

6 How it was that Esau searched and looked for the hidden things!

7 Unto the border they have cast you; all your allies have deceived you and they have left you without force; the men which were peacefully with you and those that they ate of your bread have laid out a trap underneath you. Then he does not have understanding.

8 In that day - declares Mar-Yah - I will destroy the wise men of Edom, and the understanding one of the mount of Esau.

9 And your brave ones, O Teman, will be undressed, and destroyed (will be) the men of the mount of Esau.

10 Because of the slaughter and the violence done against your brother Ya'aqub, the dishonor will cover you and you will be removed for ever.

11 Inasmuch as you rebelled against him in the same day that his army was taken captive by the strangers, and the foreigners entered by their doors and cast lots by Jerusalem, also you will be like one of them.

12 You should not occupy yourself with the destruction of your brother, in the day of the foreigners, neither should you rejoice concerning the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor speak with pride in the day of anguish.

13 You should not enter by the door of my people in the day of their adversity; and you shall not look upon their misfortune in the day of their anguish, nor should you quiver in his force in the day of their adversity.

14 You are not to put yourself in close proximity (in order) to annihilate his fugitives, nor deliver up his survivors in the day of the anguish.

15 Because near is the day of Mar-Yah upon all the nations. As you have done, thus they will do to you; your reward shall be returned upon your head;

16 therefore, as they have drank in my holy mountains, so will all the nations drink continuously. They will drink, they will be confused and disconcerted and they will stagger, and be as if they had never existed.

17 But in mount Zion I will give safety, which will be holy, and the house of Ya'aqub will have those whom had them.

18 Then the house of Ya'aqub shall be a fire, and the house of Jose a flame; and the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will burn them and they will consume them, and a survivor will not be left for the house of Esau - because Mar-Yah has spoken this.

19 Then those of the south will take possession from the mount of Esau, and those of the valley, the Philistines; they will also take possession of the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria, and Benyamin shall take possession of Gilead.

20 These first exiled, the children of Israel, who are from Canaan unto Zarapath, and the exiled of Jerusalem, which they are in Sefarad, will take possession from the cities of the south.

21 And the redeemed will go up to mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; then the kingdom will be (possessed) by Mar-Yah.

(From the Pshitta Tanakh translation of Y. Younan-Levine, with minor adjustments to the text, used with permission)