Preliminary Version of the Reconstructed Bible

Book of Obadiah:

Reconstructed Summary of the Lost Book of Obadiah:

Obadiah says that he was born in the kingdom of Israel. He was from the region of Shechem, of the
field of Beth-Hakkerem. When Obadiah was a young man, he was chosen by King Ahab to serve as his
steward. Obadiah records some of Ahab's activities, including an account of his sinful worship. The
prophet Elijah is then described as coming to Ahab and causing the rain to stop and a great famine
throughout all the land of Israel occurs as punishment for the corruption of Ahab and his kingdom.
After three years have passed, Jezebel decides she is going to kill Elijah and his fellow prophets.
Obadiah over hears this and warns the prophets ahead of time. Obadiah takes 100 of the prophets into a
cave and hides them there, taking care of all their needs while they are hiding. The rest of the prophets
seek their own refuge. Ahab seeks for Elijah but cannot find him and punishes anyone who refuses to
give him up. The effects of the famine begin to kill off too many of Ahab's animals. As a result, the
king asks his servant Obadiah to help him find grass that they can feed their animals with. They split up
to save them time in looking for grass. As Obadiah is seeking for grass, he encounters Elijah. Elijah
demands that Obadiah enable him to see Ahab. Obadiah is afraid that if he agrees to this, Ahab will kill
Obadiah because Elijah will flee and the king will blame Obadiah for Elijah running away. Elijah
assures Obadiah that he will not die and that he will confront Ahab that very day. Obadiah goes and
reports to Ahab what Elijah said, and Ahab meets with Elijah. Elijah promises to end the famine if
Ahab agrees to hold a contest between Elijah and Ahab's prophets. All the people, including Obadiah,
gather together to Mount Carmel to watch their contest. They decide that if the gods of Ahab burn
Ahab's prophets' offering with fire from the heavens, that Elijah will be killed by the people of Israel,
and that if the God of Elijah burns Elijah's offering with fire from the heavens, that Ahab's prophets
will be killed by the people of Israel. They pray to their gods, but the gods of Ahab are silent and do not
answer. Elijah's God however hears Elijah and responds by sending fire from the heavens to burn
Elijah's offering. Subsequently the people of Israel turn to Elijah's God and forsake the gods of Ahab
and execute Ahab's prophets. After this, Elijah ends the famine and causes the rain to return in a way
that clearly proves to Ahab that it was not a coincidence but was truly caused by Elijah's God. The rain
returns and the famine ends. Obadiah continues his service to King Ahab until Ahab dies. Obadiah is
appointed as captain by the son of Ahab, Ahaziah, who became king after Ahab dies. Ahaziah gets
injured and is about to die. Elijah prophesies to Ahaziah his imminent doom. Ahaziah demands Elijah
be brought to him, and sends a captain with 50 men to capture Elijah. Elijah summons fire from the
heavens to kill the captain and his 50 men. Ahaziah sends a second captain with 50 men to capture
Elijah, and Elijah once again summons fire from the heavens to kill the second captain and his 50 men.
Ahaziah proceeds to send Obadiah as a third captain with 50 men to capture Elijah, but Obadiah is
afraid for his life, seeing the fate of the other captains and men who died in the fire from the heavens.
Obadiah begs Elijah to spare his life. Elijah agrees to spare his life, and goes with Obadiah willingly to
see the king. Elijah tells the king he will die imminently. The king dies. When the king dies, Obadiah
stops serving the king, and becomes a prophet. Obadiah prophesies during the reigns of Joram and
Jehu. In his initial period of his prophecies, he prophesied of the destruction of Ahab's family, and the
death of the worshippers of Baal. Following this, he was led by God to prophesy against Israel, Judah,
Moab, Ammon, Edom, Tyre, Gaza, and Damascus. Obadiah travels to each of these places to deliver
his message to them. Obadiah prophesied that each of these people would be punished for their sins and
destroyed and sent into exile in judgment. Obadiah prophesies of the return of the exiles of Israel and
Judah, the reuniting of the two houses into one, he prophesies of a war in the latter days between Israel
and these people groups, and that after this, there will be the coming of the Messiah to judge the
nations and purify the earth and establish his kingdom.
Extract from the Lost Book of Obadiah Containing Vision of Ubid-Yeh 1.I heard a report from :
Yeuweh, & He has sent a message within nations, 'Gather ye together, & come ye against her, & rise ye
up to battle.' 2.Thus says Yeuweh my master to Adoom, Behold, I will make thee small within nations,
despised with men. 3.Thy pride has elated : thee, fierceness of thine heart has burst within clefts of the
rock; seizing strength of a high hill, saying in thy heart, 'Who can bring me down earthward?' 4.Though
thou soar as an eagle, & though thou set thy nest between luminaries, from there I will bring thee
down,' declares Yeuweh. He will soar as an eagle over Bizhareh & spread his wings, & in selfsame day
the mighty ones of Adoom will have a heart like the heart of a woman producing her pain. 'For I have
sworn in me that Bizhareh will be for a desolation, for a reproach, for a waste, & for a curse, & all her
cities shall be for perpetual wastes,' declares Yeuweh. 5.If gatherers came to thee, would they not have
left gleanings? If thieves came to thee, if robbers of night, would they not have laid waste sufficing
them? How thou wouldst have been cast away. 6.How Usau would be searched out & his hidden things
sought up. 'I will make Usau bare. I will uncover his secret places, & he will not be able to hide
himself. His neighbors will perish by the hand of his brothers, but it will not be thy orphans will be
forsaken; I will preserve them & thy widows will place their trust upon me. 7.All men of thy covenant
will disperse thee & send thee unto thy borders; they will withstand thee. All men of thy peace will
prevail against thee & overthrow thee; they will put up thy fight, & set a snare under thee, for I will
bring the calamity of Usau upon him when I will visit him. Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, o inhabitants
of Didon. 8.There will be no understanding in Teemin. Shall I not in that selfsame day then destroy
counsel from Adoom & shall I not cause wisdom to vanish from Mount Usau?' declares Yeuweh. 9.&
thy mighty ones from Teemin will be dismayed, to extent that man will be cut off from Mount Usau.
10.From slaughter & from violation of thy brother Yuqoob, shame will cover thee, & thou shalt be cut
off for ever. 11.Even thou wast as one of them in day of thy stand from opposition, in day of strangers
capturing his force, & foreigners entering his gates, & casting lot upon Eeroosileem, 12.& thou
shouldst not have spied in day of thy brother Yuqoob, in day of estrangements, & thou shouldst not
have rejoiced towards Yeudeh's sons in day of their destruction, & thou shouldst not have entered the
gates of Mount Zheeoon in day of their perishing & thou shouldst not have magnified thy mouth in day
of distress. 13.Thou shouldst not have even entered in gates of the peoples in day of their calamity, &
thou shouldst not have even spied with-in their gathering in day of their destruction, & thou shouldst
not have sent in force in day of their perishing. 14.& thou shouldst not have delivered up his remnants
in day of distress, & thou shouldst not have even stood upon the crossways to cut off : his escapees in
day of their calamity, 15.for day of Yeuweh will be approaching upon all the nations; as which thou
hast done, it will be done unto thee: thy recompense they will return into thy head. 16.For thus saith
Yeuweh, 'Though thou art he who maintains innocence, thou shalt not be innocent, for as that thou hast
drunken a drink of the cup upon my holy mountain, all the nations shall drink continually upon thy
mountain, & they shall drink, & swallow down, & they shall be like they have not been.' 17.& in mount
Zheeoon & in Eeroosileem there will be deliverance, & there will be holiness, & Yuqoob's house will
possess : those who possessed them. 18.& it shall be, Yuqoob's house will be a fire, & Yooshiv's house
will be a flame, & Usau's house will be for stubble, & they will kindle in them, & they will consume
them, & as Shidoom's overthrow & Oumireh & their neighbors', there will not be a remnant for Usau's
house, for Yeuweh has ordered. 'He will go up as a lion from the swelling of Yooridon, unto a strong
habitation, therefore, I will suddenly make him run away from coming upon her, & those who I have
appointed chosen unto her, for who is like me & who can withstand me? & who is this shepherd that
stands to my face? Shall not least of the flock be swept off? Shall not their dwellings be made desolate
upon them?' declares Yeuweh. 19.& they in the south will possess : Mount Usau, & they in the plain :
Vilosteem, & they will possess : Mount Avireem, & : Simaroon's field, & : Bineemin, & : the Gilud.
20.& that this host's captivity, for sons of Isiral will be that of Kinuneem unto Zhiravit & Eeroosileem's
captivity will be in Shivrid; they will possess : cities of the south. 21.& the ones caused to be rescued
shall ascend in Mount Zheeoon to judge : Mount Usau, & the kingdom shall be for Yeuweh.
Containing Vision of Ubid-Yeh (Young's Literal Translation) Vision of Obadiah
1.I heard a report from : Yeuweh, & He 1 Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Edom, A
has sent a message within nations, 'Gather ye report we have heard from Jehovah, And an
together, & come ye against her, & rise ye up to ambassador among nations was sent, `Rise, yea, let
battle.' us rise against her for battle.'
2.Thus says Yeuweh my master to Adoom, 2 Lo, little I have made thee among nations,
Behold, I will make thee small within nations, Despised [art] thou exceedingly.
despised with men.
3.Thy pride has elated : thee, fierceness of 3 The pride of thy heart hath lifted thee up,
thine heart has burst within clefts of the rock; O dweller in clifts of a rock, (A high place [is] his
seizing strength of a high hill, saying in thy heart, habitation, He is saying in his heart, `Who doth
'Who can bring me down earthward?' bring me down [to] earth?')
4.Though thou soar as an eagle, & though 4 If thou dost go up high as an eagle, And if
thou set thy nest between luminaries, from there I between stars thou dost set thy nest, From thence I
will bring thee down,' declares Yeuweh. He will bring thee down, An affirmation of Jehovah.
soar as an eagle over Bizhareh & spread his wings,
& in selfsame day the mighty ones of Adoom will
have a heart like the heart of a woman producing
her pain. 'For I have sworn in me that Bizhareh
will be for a desolation, for a reproach, for a
waste, & for a curse, & all her cities shall be for
perpetual wastes,' declares Yeuweh.
5.If gatherers came to thee, would they not 5 If thieves have come in to thee, If spoilers
have left gleanings? If thieves came to thee, if of the night, How hast thou been cut off! Do they
robbers of night, would they not have laid waste not steal their sufficiency? If gatherers have come
sufficing them? How thou wouldst have been cast in to thee, Do they not leave gleanings?
away.
6.How Usau would be searched out & his 6 How hath Esau been searched out!
hidden things sought up. 'I will make Usau bare. I Flowed out have his hidden things,
will uncover his secret places, & he will not be
able to hide himself. His neighbors will perish by
the hand of his brothers, but it will not be thy
orphans will be forsaken; I will preserve them &
thy widows will place their trust upon me.
7.All men of thy covenant will disperse 7 Unto the border sent thee have all thine
thee & send thee unto thy borders; they will allies, Forgotten thee, prevailed over thee, have thy
withstand thee. All men of thy peace will prevail friends, Thy bread they make a snare under thee,
against thee & overthrow thee; they will put up thy There is no understanding in him!
fight, & set a snare under thee, for I will bring the
calamity of Usau upon him when I will visit him.
Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, o inhabitants of
Didon.
8.There will be no understanding in Teemin. 8 Is it not in that day -- an affirmation of
Shall I not in that selfsame day then destroy Jehovah, That I have destroyed the wise out of
counsel from Adoom & shall I not cause wisdom Edom, And understanding out of the mount of
to vanish from Mount Usau?' declares Yeuweh. Esau?
9.& thy mighty ones from Teemin will be 9 And broken down have been thy mighty
dismayed, to extent that man will be cut off from ones, O Teman, So that every one of the mount of
Mount Usau. Esau is cut off.
 10.From slaughter & from violation of thy 10 For slaughter, for violence [to] thy
brother Yuqoob, shame will cover thee, & thou brother Jacob, Cover thee doth shame, And thou
shalt be cut off for ever. hast been cut off -- to the age.
11.Even thou wast as one of them in day of 11 In the day of thy standing over-against,
thy stand from opposition, in day of strangers In the day of strangers taking captive his force, And
capturing his force, & foreigners entering his gates, foreigners have entered his gates, And for
& casting lot upon Eeroosileem, Jerusalem have cast a lot, Even thou [art] as one of
12.& thou shouldst not have spied in day of them!
thy brother Yuqoob, in day of estrangements, & 12 And -- thou dost not look on the day of
thou shouldst not have rejoiced towards Yeudeh's thy brother, On the day of his alienation, Nor dost
sons in day of their destruction, & thou shouldst thou rejoice over sons of Judah, In the day of their
not have entered the gates of Mount Zheeoon in destruction, Nor make great thy mouth in a day of
day of their perishing & thou shouldst not have distress.
magnified thy mouth in day of distress.
13.Thou shouldst not have even entered in 13 Nor come into a gate of My people in a
gates of the peoples in day of their calamity, & day of their calamity, Nor look, even thou, on its
thou shouldst not have even spied with-in their misfortune in a day of its calamity, Nor send forth
gathering in day of their destruction, & thou against its force in a day of its calamity,
shouldst not have sent in force in day of their
perishing.
14.& thou shouldst not have delivered up 14 Nor stand by the breach to cut off its
his remnants in day of distress, & thou shouldst not escaped, Nor deliver up its remnant in a day of
have even stood upon the crossways to cut off : his distress.
escapees in day of their calamity,
15.for day of Yeuweh will be approaching 15 For near [is] the day of Jehovah, on all
upon all the nations; as which thou hast done, it the nations, As thou hast done, it is done to thee,
will be done unto thee: thy recompense they will Thy deed doth turn back on thine own head.
return into thy head.
16.For thus saith Yeuweh, 'Though thou art 16 For -- as ye have drunk on My holy
he who maintains innocence, thou shalt not be mount, Drink do all the nations continually, And
innocent, for as that thou hast drunken a drink of they have drunk and have swallowed, And they
the cup upon my holy mountain, all the nations have been as they have not been.
shall drink continually upon thy mountain, & they
shall drink, & swallow down, & they shall be like
they have not been.'
17.& in mount Zheeoon & in Eeroosileem 17 And in mount Zion there is an escape,
there will be deliverance, & there will be holiness, And it hath been holy, And the house of Jacob have
& Yuqoob's house will possess : those who possessed their possessions.
possessed them.
18.& it shall be, Yuqoob's house will be a 18 And the house of Jacob hath been a fire,
fire, & Yooshiv's house will be a flame, & Usau's And the house of Joseph a flame, And the house of
house will be for stubble, & they will kindle in Esau for stubble, And they have burned among
them, & they will consume them, & as Shidoom's them, And they have consumed them, And there is
overthrow & Oumireh & their neighbors', there not a remnant to the house of Esau, For Jehovah
will not be a remnant for Usau's house, for Yeuweh hath spoken.
has ordered. 'He will go up as a lion from the
swelling of Yooridon, unto a strong habitation,
therefore, I will suddenly make him run away from
coming upon her, & those who I have appointed
chosen unto her, for who is like me & who can
withstand me? & who is this shepherd that stands
to my face? Shall not least of the flock be swept
off? Shall not their dwellings be made desolate
upon them?' declares Yeuweh. 19 And they have possessed the south with
19.& they in the south will possess : Mount the mount of Esau, And the low country with the
Usau, & they in the plain : Vilosteem, & they will Philistines, And they have possessed the field of
possess : Mount Avireem, & : Simaroon's field, & :Ephraim, And the field of Samaria, And Benjamin
Bineemin, & : the Gilud. with Gilead.
20.& that this host's captivity, for sons of 20 And the removed of this force of the sons
Isiral will be that of Kinuneem unto Zhiravit & of Israel, That [is with] the Canaanites unto
Eeroosileem's captivity will be in Shivrid; they will Zarephat, And the removed of Jerusalem that [is]
possess : cities of the south. with the Sepharad, Possess the cities of the south.
21.& the ones caused to be rescued shall 21 And gone up have saviours on mount
ascend in Mount Zheeoon to judge : Mount Usau, Zion, To judge the mount of Esau, And the
& the kingdom shall be for Yeuweh. kingdom hath been to Jehovah!'

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Italicized words=reconstructed text based on internal context or parallel sources

Underlined Text=Readings not found nor supported by the Hebrew Masoretic Text that is used for
nearly all translations of the Bible
Bolded Underlined Text=Readings Found in the Septuagint but not supported by the Hebrew Masoretic
Text that is used for nearly all translations of the Bible
Black Background and White Font=Text Found in Fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls