Obadiah 10–16

Because of the murderous history compiled

against your brother Jacob,

You will be looked down on by everyone.

You’ll lose your place in history.

On that day you stood there and didn’t do anything.

Strangers took your brother’s army into exile.

Godless foreigners invaded and pillaged Jerusalem.

You stood there and watched.

You were as bad as they were.

You shouldn’t have gloated over your brother

when he was down-and-out.

You shouldn’t have laughed and joked at Judah’s sons

when they were facedown in the mud.

You shouldn’t have talked so big

when everything was so bad.

You shouldn’t have taken advantage of my people

when their lives had fallen apart.

You of all people should not have been amused

by their troubles, their wrecked nation.

You shouldn’t have taken the shirt off their back

when they were knocked flat, defenseless.

And you shouldn’t have stood waiting at the outskirts

and cut off refugees,

And traitorously turned in helpless survivors

who had lost everything.

^15–18“God’s Judgment Day is near

for all the godless nations.

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

What you did will boomerang back

and hit your own head.

Just as you partied on my holy mountain,

all the godless nations will drink God’s wrath.

They’ll drink and drink and drink—

they’ll drink themselves to death.