The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God's Message came to me:
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, confront Mount Seir. Prophesy against it!
2 "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3 Tell them, 'God, the Master, says: "'I'm coming down hard on you, Mount Seir. I'm stepping in and turning you to a pile of rubble.
3 and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste.
4 I'll reduce your towns to piles of rocks. There'll be nothing left of you. Then you'll realize that I am God.
4 I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
5 "'I'm doing this because you've kept this age-old grudge going against Israel: You viciously attacked them when they were already down, looking their final punishment in the face.
5 Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment,
6 Therefore, as sure as I am the living God, I'm lining you up for a real bloodbath. Since you loved blood so much, you'll be chased by rivers of blood.
6 therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you.
7 I'll reduce Mount Seir to a heap of rubble. No one will either come or go from that place!
7 I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation, and I will cut off from it all who come and go.
8 I'll blanket your mountains with corpses. Massacred bodies will cover your hills and fill up your valleys and ditches.
8 And I will fill its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain with the sword shall fall.
9 I'll reduce you to ruins and all your towns will be ghost towns - population zero. Then you'll realize that I am God.
9 I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
10 "'Because you said, "These two nations, these two countries, are mine. I'm taking over" (even though God is right there watching, right there listening),
10 "Because you said, 'These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them'--although the LORD was there--
11 I'll turn your hate-bloated anger and rage right back on you. You'll know I mean business when I bring judgment on you.
11 therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will deal with you according to the anger and envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And I will make myself known among them, when I judge you.
12 You'll realize then that I, God, have overheard all the vile abuse you've poured out against the mountains of Israel, saying, "They're roadkill and we're going to eat them up."
12 And you shall know that I am the LORD. "I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are laid desolate; they are given us to devour.'
13 You've strutted around, talking so big, insolently pitting yourselves against me. And I've heard it all.
13 And you magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it.
14 "'This is the verdict of God, the Master: With the whole earth applauding, I'll demolish you.
14 Thus says the Lord GOD: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
15 Since you danced in the streets, thinking it was so wonderful when Israel's inheritance was demolished, I'll give you the same treatment: demolition. Mount Seir demolished - yes, every square inch of Edom. Then they'll realize that I am God!'
15 As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.