Obadiah 1 |
1 The vision of Obadiah. (Thus says the Lord GOD:) Of Edom we have heard a message from the LORD, and a herald has been sent among the nations: "Up! let us go to war against him!"
2 See, I make you small among the nations; you are held in dire contempt.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you: you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose abode is in the heights, Who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to earth?"
4 Though you go as high as the eagle, and your nest be set among the stars, From there will I bring you down, says the LORD.
5 If thieves came to you, if robbers by night, how could you be thus destroyed: would they not steal merely till they had enough? If vintagers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings?
6 How they search Esau, seek out his hiding places!
7 To the border they drive you-- all your allies; They deceive you, they overpower you-- those at peace with you; Those who eat your bread lay snares beneath you: There is no understanding in him!
8 Shall I not, says the LORD, on that day make the wise men disappear from Edom, and understanding from the mount of Esau?
9 Your warriors, O Teman, shall be crushed, till all on Mount Esau are destroyed.
10 Because of violence to your brother Jacob, disgrace shall cover you and you shall be destroyed forever.
11 On the day when you stood by, on the day when aliens carried off his possessions, And strangers entered his gates and cast lots over Jerusalem, you too were one of them.
12 Gaze not upon the day of your brother, the day of his disaster; Exult not over the children of Judah on the day of their ruin; Speak not haughtily on the day of distress!
13 Enter not the gate of my people on the day of their calamity; Gaze not, you at least, upon his misfortune on the day of his calamity; Lay not hands upon his possessions on the day of his calamity!
14 Stand not at the crossroads to slay his refugees; Betray not his fugitives on the day of distress!
15 For near is the day of the LORD for all the nations! As you have done, so shall it be done to you, your deed shall come back upon your own head;
16 As you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually. Yes, they shall drink and swallow, and shall become as though they had not been.
17 But on Mount Zion there shall be a portion saved; the mountain shall be holy, And the house of Jacob shall take possession of those that dispossessed them.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; The house of Esau shall be stubble, and they shall set them ablaze and devour them; Then none shall survive of the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken.
19 They shall occupy the Negeb, the mount of Esau, and the foothills of the Philistines; And they shall occupy the lands of Ephraim and the lands of Samaria, and Benjamin shall occupy Gilead.
20 The captives of the host of the children of Israel shall occupy the Canaanite land as far as Zarephath, And the captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall occupy the cities of the Negeb.
21 And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to rule the mount of Esau, and the kingship shall be the LORD'S.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.