The Destruction of Edom
(Jeremiah 49:7–22)

1The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says the Lord YHWH concerning Edom:

We have heard a report from YHWH,

and a messenger among the nations has been sent:

“Rise up,

and let us rise against her for battle.

2Behold, I am making you small among the nations—

you are exceedingly despised.

3The pride of your heart has deceived you,

O dweller in the clefts of the rock,†

in the height of his dwelling,

the one saying in his heart,

‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’

4Though you rise high like the eagle,

and though your nest is set between the stars,

from there I will bring you down,”

a declaration of YHWH.

5“If thieves had come to you,

if plunderers by night—

how you have been cut off—

would they not have stolen enough for themselves?

If grape-gatherers had come to you,

would they not have left remaining some gleanings?

6How Esau has been searched out,

his hidden treasures sought out.

7Up to the border they will force you—

all the men of your alliance;

they will deceive you and prevail against you—

the men at peace with you;

those of your bread†

will set a trap for you;

there is no understanding of it.

8Will not, on that day,” a declaration of YHWH,

“I even destroy the wise men from Edom,

and of understanding

from the mountains of Esau?

9And your mighty men will be dismayed,

O Teman,

so that each man from the mountains of Esau

will be cut down in the slaughter.

10From the violence to your brother Jacob,

shame will cover you,

and you will be cut off forever!

11On the day of your standing away from before him,

on the day strangers carried away captive his wealth,

and foreigners entered his gates,

and over Jerusalem they cast lots,

even you were as one of them.

12And you should not look on the day of your brother,

on the day of his captivity;

and you should not rejoice over the sons of Judah

on the day of their destruction,

and you should not enlarge your mouth

in the day of distress.

13You should not come into the gate of My people

on the day of their calamity;

you should not look—yes you—on his affliction

in the day of his calamity,

and you⁺ should not send forth upon his wealth

in the day of his calamity!

14And you should not stand at the crossroad

to cut down his fugitives;

and you should not deliver up his survivors

in the day of distress.

The Deliverance of Israel

15For the day of YHWH is near,

upon all the nations!

As you have done, it will be done to you—

your recompense will return upon your own head!

16For according to how you⁺ drank on the mountain of my holiness,

all the nations will drink continually;

they will drink and they will swallow,

and they will be as if they had never existed.

17And on Mount Zion there will be an escape,

and there will be holiness,

and the house of Jacob will repossess

their possessions.

18And the house of Jacob will become a fire,

and the house of Joseph a flame,

and the house of Esau as stubble;

and they will burn them and consume them,

and there will not be a survivor

to the house of Esau.”

For YHWH has spoken.

19And the Negev will possess the mountains of Esau,

and the Shephelah† the Philistines;

and they will possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria,

and Benjamin Gilead,

20and the captivity of this host of the sons of Israel,

that of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,

and the captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

will possess the cities of the Negev.

21And those delivering will go up onto Mount Zion†

to judge the mountains of Esau,

and the kingdom will be unto YHWH.