The vision of Obadiah

THIS is what the Sovereign God [the Self-existent], says concerning Edom [the country of the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob]: “I have heard the report from the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit], the Ambassador sent to the nation [Israel, the descendants of Jacob – Ex. 23:20], that you said, ‘Rise up! Rise up against her [Judah, the southern kingdom] in battle!’

For that, I have rendered you [Edom] the smallest: You are so contemptible.

Your pride has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose throne is high; who is saying in his heart, ‘Who shall bring me down to the ground?’

Though you exalt yourself as the eagle and set your nest among the stars [celestial-messengers], I will bring you down. (This is an oracle of the Self-existent.)

If thieves – robbers – came to you by night, how much would they rob you? Would they not steal as much as they wanted? If grapegatherers came to you, would they not leave only few grapes?

(How the houses of Esau [Edom] are ransacked! How his hidden things are found and taken away!)

All who were in league with you have inclosed you – those who were your allies have tricked you and defeated you: Those who ate your food have betrayed you, saying, ‘He does not know anything!’

That time (this is a declaration of the Self-existent that must come true or cannot be countermanded), shall I not destroy the wise out of Edom and the understanding out of the country of Esau?

Then your warriors, Teman [a district in Edom], shall be affrighted. Accordingly, everyone in the country of Esau shall be killed by slaughter.

Your violence against your brother Jacob [Judah, the southern kingdom] shall bring you shame; you will be hewed down forever.

That day when you stood at the other side when strangers carried away the belongings of Jacob [Judah, the southern kingdom] captive, when foreigners entered his cities and cast lots over the city of the Peaceful [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit] - Jerusalem - you could be regarded as one of them.

You should not have just been a spectator on that day when your brother fell into calamity nor rejoiced over the children of Judah [the southern kingdom] when they were captured; you should not have spoken so proudly in the day of their distress.

You should not have gone to the cities of My people to war in the day of their calamity; in fact, you should not have looked on their affliction exultantly nor laid hands on their goods in the day of their calamity.

Besides, you should not have stood at the crossroad to kill his people who escaped, nor handed over those who were spared, in the day of their distress.

For all these, the day of vengeance of the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] upon all the nations is near – as you did, it shall be done to you: You shall be paid back in your own coin:

as you have drunk in My holy country, shall all the nations drink continually: In fact, they shall drink and they shall gulp down, and shall be as if they had not drunk.

But the remnant [those left] of My people shall be in the country, Zion [Judah, the southern kingdom] and the place shall be sacred; then the house of Jacob [Judah, the southern kingdom] shall repossess their inheritance.”

That time, the house of Jacob [Judah, the southern kingdom] shall become a fire and the house of Joseph [Israel - the northern kingdom] a flame, while the house of Esau [Edom] shall be stubble; they shall burn in them and consume them, such that there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau, in that the Self-existent has pronounced it.

People in the parched [dry] - southern - districts of Judah [the southern kingdom] will occupy the country of Esau [Edom], those in the valley will occupy that of the Philistines – both of them [those in the parched districts and those in the valley] will occupy the regions of Ephraim [Israel, the northern kingdom, west of the Jordan] and Samaria [the capital of Israel, a city in the southern side of Israel, the northern kingdom, west of the Jordan]; and Benjamin will occupy Gilead [the region of Israel, the northern kingdom, east of the Jordan, formerly kingdoms of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan].

Also, these multitude of the children of Israel [the northern kingdom] held captive, shall occupy the countries of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and these people of the city of the Peaceful [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit] - Jerusalem - held captive in Sepharad, shall occupy the cities southward.

Then, one of those rescued shall be raised up from the country, Zion [Judah, the southern kingdom] to govern the land of Esau; the kingdom of Edom shall then become the Self-existent’s.