The Destruction of Edom

(Jeremiah 49:7–22)

[This is] the vision of Obadiah:

This is what the Lord GOD says about Edom —

We have heard a message from the LORD;

an envoy has been sent among the nations

[to say,] “Rise up,

and let us go to battle against her!”—

2 

“ Behold, I will make you small among the nations;

you will be deeply despised.

3 

The pride of your heart has deceived you,

O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks[fn]

whose habitation is the heights,

who say in your heart,

‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

4 

Though you soar like the eagle

and make your nest among the stars,

even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

5 

“ If thieves came to you,

if robbers by night —

oh, how you will be ruined —

would they not steal [only] what they wanted?

If grape gatherers came to you,

would they not leave [some] gleanings?

6 

But how Esau will be pillaged,

his hidden treasures sought out!

7 

All the men allied with you

will drive you to the border;

the men at peace with you

will deceive and overpower you.

[Those who eat] your bread[fn]

will set a trap for you

without your awareness of it.

8 

In that day, declares the LORD,

will I not destroy the wise [men] of Edom

and the men of understanding

in the mountains of Esau?

9 

Then your mighty men, O Teman,

will be terrified,

so that everyone in the mountains of Esau

will be cut down in the slaughter.

10 

Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,

you will be covered with shame

and cut off forever.

11 

On the day you stood aloof

while strangers carried off his wealth

and foreigners entered his gate

and cast lots for Jerusalem,

you were just like one of them.

12 

But you should not gloat in that day,

your brother’s day of misfortune,

nor rejoice over the people of Judah

in the day of their destruction,

nor boast proudly

in the day of their distress.

13 

You should not enter the gate of My people

in the day of their disaster,

nor gloat over their affliction

in the day of their disaster,

nor loot their wealth

in the day of their disaster.

14 

Nor should you stand at the crossroads

to cut off their fugitives,

nor deliver up their survivors

in the day of their distress.

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