The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 This is the vision of 'Ovadyah. Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says about Edom. As a messenger was being sent among the nations saying, "Come on, let's attack her," we heard a message from ADONAI:
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The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord has said about Edom: We have had word from the Lord, and a representative has been sent among the nations, saying, Up! and let us make war against her.
2 "I am making you the least of all nations, you will be beneath contempt.
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See, I have made you small among the nations: you are much looked down on.
3 Your proud heart has deceived you, you whose homes are caves in the cliffs, who live on the heights and say to yourselves, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?'
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You have been tricked by the pride of your heart, O you whose living-place is in the cracks of the rock, whose house is high up; who has said in his heart, Who will make me come down to earth?
4 If you make your nest as high as an eagle's, even if you place it among the stars, I will bring you down from there." says ADONAI.
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Though you go up on high like an eagle, though your house is placed among the stars, I will make you come down from there, says the Lord.
5 If thieves were to come to you, or if robbers by night (Oh, how destroyed you are!), wouldn't they stop when they'd stolen enough? If grape-pickers came to you, Wouldn't they leave some grapes for gleaning?
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If thieves came, attacking you by night, (how are you cut off!) would they not go on taking till they had enough? if men came cutting your grapes would they take them all?
6 But see how 'Esav has been looted, their secret treasures searched out!
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How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his secret stores looked for!
7 Your allies went with you only to the border, those at peace with you deceived and defeated you, those who ate your food set a trap for you, and you couldn't discern it.
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All the men who were united with you have been false to you, driving you out to the edge of the land: the men who were at peace with you have overcome you; they have taken their heritage in your place.
8 "When that Day comes," says ADONAI, "won't I destroy all the wise men of Edom and leave no discernment on Mount 'Esav?
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Will I not, in that day, says the Lord, take away the wise men out of Edom, and wisdom out of the mountain of Esau?
9 Your warriors, Teman, will be so distraught that everyone on Mount 'Esav will be slaughtered.
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And your men of war, O Teman, will be overcome with fear, so that every one of them may be cut off from the mountain of Esau.
10 For the violence done to your kinsman Ya'akov, shame will cover you; and you will be forever cut off.
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Because you were the cause of violent death and because of your cruel behaviour to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and will be cut off for ever.
11 On that day you stood aside, while strangers carried off his treasure, and foreigners entered his gates to cast lots for Yerushalayim - you were no different from them.
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Because you were there watching when men from other lands took away his goods, and strange men came into his doors, and put the fate of Jerusalem to the decision of chance; you were like one of them.
12 You shouldn't have gloated over your kinsman on their day of disaster or rejoiced over the people of Y'hudah on their day of destruction. You shouldn't have spoken arrogantly on a day of trouble
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Do not see with pleasure your brother's evil day, the day of his fate, and do not be glad over the children of Judah on the day of their destruction, or make wide your mouth on the day of trouble.
13 or entered the gate of my people on their day of calamity - no, you shouldn't have gloated over their suffering on their day of calamity or laid hands on their treasure on their day of calamity.
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Do not go into the doors of my people on the day of their downfall; do not be looking on their trouble with pleasure on the day of their downfall, or put your hands on their goods on the day of their downfall.
14 You shouldn't have stood at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives or handed over their survivors on a day of trouble."
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And do not take your place at the cross-roads, cutting off those of his people who get away; and do not give up to their haters those who are still there in the day of trouble.
15 For the Day of ADONAI is near for all nations; as you did, it will be done to you; your dealings will come back on your own head.
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For the day of the Lord is coming quickly on all nations: as you have done it will be done to you; the reward of your acts will come on your head.
16 For just as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so will all the nations drink in turn; yes, they will drink and gulp it down and be as if they had never existed.
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For as you have been drinking on my holy mountain, so will all the nations go on drinking without end; they will go on drinking and the wine will go down their throats, and they will be as if they had never been.
17 But on Mount Tziyon there will be a holy remnant who will escape, and the house of Ya'akov will repossess their rightful inheritance.
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But in Mount Zion some will be kept safe, and it will be holy; and the children of Jacob will take their heritage.
18 The house of Ya'akov will be a fire and the house of Yosef a flame, setting aflame and consuming the stubble which is the house of 'Esav. None of the house of 'Esav will remain, for ADONAI has spoken.
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And the children of Jacob will be a fire and those of Joseph a flame, and the children of Esau dry stems of grass, burned up by them till all is gone: and there will be no people living in Esau; for the Lord has said it.
19 Those in the Negev will repossess the mountain of 'Esav, and those in the Sh'felah the land of the P'lishtim; they will repossess the field of Efrayim and the field of Shomron, and Binyamin will occupy Gil'ad.
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And they will take the South, and the lowland, and the country of Ephraim, and Gilead, as their heritage.
20 Those from this army of the people of Isra'el exiled among the Kena'anim as far away as Tzarfat, and the exiles from Yerushalayim in S'farad, will repossess the cities in the Negev.
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And those of the children of Israel who were the first to be taken away as prisoners, will have their heritage among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and those who were taken away from Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will have the towns of the South.
21 Then the victorious will ascend Mount Tziyon to rule over Mount 'Esav, but the kingship will belong to ADONAI.
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And those who have been kept safe will come up from Mount Zion to be judges of the mountain of Esau; and the kingdom will be the Lord's.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.