ABDIAS borne in Sichem, of the tribe Ephraim, prophecied the same time
with Amos; so briefly that his prophecie is not parted into chapters:
1. against the Idumeans; foreshewing their destruction; 10. for their
perpetual emnitie against the Iewes, and confederacie with the Chaldees.
17. The captiuitie and relaxation of the Iewes. 19. And redemption of
the whole world by Christ.
THE vision of Abdias. Thus sayth our Lord God to Edom: We haue heard a
bruit from our Lord, and he hath sent a legate to the Gentils: Rise ye,
and let vs arise against him into battel. 2 Behold I haue geuen thee a
litle one in the Gentils: thou art contemptible excedingly. 3 The pride
of thy hart hath extolled thee, dwelling in the clefts of rockes,
exalting thy throne: which sayst in thy hart: Who shal plucke me downe
to the earth. 4 If thou shalt be exalted as an eagle, and if thou shalt
set thy nest among the starres: thence wil I plucke thee downe, sayth
our Lord. 5 If theues had gone in to thee, if robbers by night, how
hadst thou held thy peace. would not they haue stolen thinges sufficent
for themselues. if the grape gathereres had entered in to thee, would
they not haue left thee at the least a cluster. 6 How haue they searched
Esau, haue they sought out his hidden thinges. 7 Euen to the border haue
they cast thee out: al the men of thy league haue mocked thee: the men
of thy peace haue peuailed against thee: they that eate with thee, shal
lay embushments vnder thee: there is no wisedom in him. 8 Why, shal not
I in that day, sayth our Lord, destroy the wise out of Idumea, and
prudence from the mount of Esau, 9 And thy valients of the South shal
feare, that man may perish from the mount of Esau. 10 For the slaughter,
and for the iniquitie against thy brother Iacob, confusion shal couer
thee, and thou shalt perish for euer. 11 In the day when thou stoodest
against him, when strangers tooke his armie, and foreners entered his
gates, and vpon Ierusalem cast lotte: thou also wast as one of them.
12 And thou shalt not dispise in the day of thy brother, in the day of
his peregrination: and thou shalt not reioyce ouer the children of Iuda,
in the day of their perdition: & thou shalt not magnifie thy mouth in
the day of distresse. 13 Neither shalt thou enter the gate of my people
in the day of their ruine: neither shalt thou also dispise in his euils
in the day of his distruction: and thou shalt not be sent out against
his armie in the day of his destruction. 14 Neither shalt thou stand in
the outgoings to kil them that flee: and thou shalt not shut vp his
remnant in the day of tribulation. 15 Because the day of our Lord is at
hand vpon al nations: as thou hast done, so shal it be done to thee:
thy retribution he wil returne vpon thine owne head. 16 For as you haue
drunke vpon my holie mount, shal al Gentils drinke continually: & they
shal drinke, and swallow vp, and they shal be as though they were not.
17 And in mount Sion shal be saluation, and it shal be holie: and the
house of Iacob shal possesse those that had possessed them. 18 And the
house of Iacob shal be a fyre, and the house of Ioseph a flame, and the
house of Esau stubble: and they shal be kindled in them, and shal
deuoure them: and there shal be no remaynes of the house of Esau,
because our Lord hath spoken. 19 And they that are toward the South,
shal inherite the mount of Esau, and they in the champaine countries,
Philisthiims: and they shal possesse the region of Ephraim, and the
region of Samaria: and Beniamin shal possesse Galaad. 20 And the
transmigration of this host of the children of Israel, al places of the
Chananeits euen to Sarepta: and the transmigration of Ierusalem, that is
in Bosphorus, shal possesse the cities of the South. 21 And sauiours
shal ascend into mount Sion to iudge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom
shal be to our Lord.