THE SECOND BOOK OF NEPHI.

CHAPTER I.

An account of the death of Lehi.  Nephi's brethren rebelleth against him.  The Lord warns Nephi to depart into the wilderness, &c.  His journeyings in the wilderness, &c and so forth.

CHAPTER 1

AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them:, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them, in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.

2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.

3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained:--how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

4 For, Bbehold, saith he, I have seen a vision, in the which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem, we should also have perished.

5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed.  Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever;, and also all they which those who should be led out of other countries, by the hand of the Lord.

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the sSpirit which is in me, that there shall be none come into this land, save they should shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring.  And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity:; if so, it shall be because of iniquity:; for if iniquity shall abound, cursed shall be the land for their sakes;, but unto the righteous, it shall be blessed forever.

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations:; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as they which those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves.  And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments, they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.

10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after that they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord;--having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvellous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise;--behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just, shall rest upon them;.

11 yYea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions;, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.

12 Yea, as one generation passeth to another, there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words.

13 O that ye would awake,; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe!.

14 Awake!  and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveller can return:; a few more days, and I go the way of all the earth.

15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell:; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.

16 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord:; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul, from the beginning.

17 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time:, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts, lest the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath, upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever;

18 oOr, that a cursing should come upon you, for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the Ddevil.

19 O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord.  But, behold, his will be done:; for his ways are righteousness forever;.

20 aAnd he hath said, that:  iInasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.

21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you;, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind, and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

22 tThat ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body.

23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness.  Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem,; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise:  for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you.

25 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again:; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you;, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.

26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you.  Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you.; Bbut behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger, was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not constrain restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.

27 And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you, that ye must obey.  But behold, it was not him he, but it was the sSpirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.

28 And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons which who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi, ye shall not perish.  And if ye will hearken unto him, I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.

29 But if ye will not hearken unto him, I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.

30 And now, Zoram, I speak unto you:  Behold, thou art the servant of Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son, Nephi, forever.

31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful, thy seed shall be blessed with his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among them, shall harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land forever.--

32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed with the seed of my son.

CHAPTER 2

1 AndND now, Jacob, I speak unto you;:  Thou art my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness.  And behold, in thy childhood, thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.

2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God.--Wherefore, I know that thou art reedeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer:; for thou hast beheld, that in the fulness of time, he cometh to bring salvation unto men.

4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth, his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh:; for the sSpirit is the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever.  And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.

5 And men are instructed sufficiently, that they know good from evil.  And the law is given unto men.  And by the law, no flesh is justified; or, by the law, men are cut off.  Yea, by the temporal law, they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law, they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah:; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those which who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and the grace of the Holy Messiah, which who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the sSpirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

9 Wherefore, he is the first fruits firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him, shall be saved.

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men cometh unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of Hhim, to be judged of Hhim, according to the truth and holiness which is in Hhim.  Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement;--

11 fFor it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.  If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass;, neither wickedness;, neither holiness nor misery;, neither good nor bad.  Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body, it must neeeds remain as dead, having no life, neither death, nor corruption, nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of noaught; wherefore, there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.  Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God, and his eternal purposes;, and also, the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin.  If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness.--And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness.  And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery.  And if these things are not, there is no God.  And if there is no God, we are not, neither the earth:; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things, for your profit and learning:; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them is; are, both things to act, and things to be acted upon;.

15 aAnd to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after that he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter;.

16 wWherefore, the Lord God gave unto man, that he should act for himself.  Wherefore, man could not act for himself, save it should be that he were was enticed by the one or the other.

17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose, that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from Hheaven; wherefore, he became a Ddevil, having sought that which was evil before God.

18 And because that he had fallen from Hheaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind.--Wherefore, he sayeth said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, which who is the Ddevil, which who is the father of all lies;, wherefore he sayeth, said:  Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

19 And after that Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out from of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.

20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.

21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.  For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he sheowed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen;, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden.  And all things which were created, must have remained in the same state in which they were, after that they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore, they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery:; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But, behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of Hhim who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell, that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he might may redeem the children of men from the fall.  And because that they are redeemed from the fall, they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves, and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law, at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which is are expedient unto man.  And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the Ddevil:; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great mMediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit,;

29 aAnd not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the Ddevil power to captivate, to bring, you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet.  And I have none other object, save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls.--Amen.

CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER 3

AND now I speak unto you, Joseph, my last-born.  Thou wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions; yea, in the days of my greatest sorrow, did thy mother bear thee.

2 And may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land, which is a most precious land, for thine inheritance and the inheritance of thy seed with thy brethren, for thy security forever, if it so be that ye shall keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.

3 And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may the Lord bless thee forever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

4 For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph, which who was carried captive into Egypt.  And great was were the covenants of the Lord, which he made unto Joseph;.

5 wWherefore, Joseph truly saw our day.  And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins, the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the Hhouse of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off;, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of the darkness unto the light;--yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

6 For Joseph truly testified, saying:  A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, which who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

7 Yea, Joseph truly said,:  tThus saith the Lord unto me:  A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins.  And unto him will I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.

8 And I will give unto him a commandment, that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him.  And I will make him great in mine eyes:; for he shall do my work.

9 And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

10 And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.

11 But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins;--and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

12 Wherefore, the fruit of my thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days;, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

13 And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

14 And thus prophesied Joseph, saying:  Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him, shall be confounded:; for this promise, of which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of thy my loins, shall be fulfilled.  Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise.;

15 And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father.  And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation;.

16 yYea, thus prophesied Joseph.:  I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses:; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed forever.

17 And the Lord hath said,:  I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing.  Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much:, for I will not make him mighty in speaking.  But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him.

18 And the Lord said unto me also,:  I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman.  And I, behold, I will give unto him, that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it.

19 And the words which he shall write, shall be the words which is are expedient in my wisdom, should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins.  And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust:; for I know their faith.

20 And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren, even that after many generations have gone by them.  And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words.

21 Because of their faith, their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren, which who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.

22 And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this manner did my father of old prophesy.

23 Wherefore, because of this covenant, thou art blessed:; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the Bbook.

24 And there shall raise rise up one, mighty among them, which who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the Hhouse of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.

25 And now, blessed art thou, Joseph.  Behold, thou art little; wherefore, hearken unto the words of thy brother, Nephi, and it shall be done unto thee, even according to the words which I have spoken.  Remember the words of thy dying father.  Amen.

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER 4

AND now, I, Nephi, speak concerning the prophecies of which my father hath spoken, concerning Joseph, who was carried into Egypt:.

2 For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed.  And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater.  And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations:; and they are written upon the plates of brass.

3 Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and sayeth said unto them,:  Behold, my sons, and my daughters, which who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words:.

4 fFor the Lord God hath said, Tthat:  iInasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.

5 But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave, save I should leave a blessing upon you:; Ffor behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the right way that ye should go, ye will not depart from it.

6 Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you, and be answered upon the heads of your parents.

7 Wherefore, because of my blessing, the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you, and unto your seed, forever.

8 And it came to pass that after my father had made an end of speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he caused the sons and daughters of Lemuel to be brought before him.

9 And he spake unto them, saying:  Behold, my sons and my daughters, which who are the sons and the daughters of my second son; behold, I leave unto you the same blessing which I left unto the sons and daughters of Laman; wherefore, thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but in the end, thy seed shall be blessed.

10 And it came to pass that when my father had made an end of speaking unto them, behold, it came to pass that he spake unto the sons of Ishmael, yea, and even all his household.

11 And after that he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying:  Blessed art thou, and thy seed:; for thou shalt inherit the land, like unto thy brother, Nephi.  And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in all thy days.

12 And it came to pass that after my father, Lehi, had spake spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart, and the sSpirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old.  And it came to pass that he died, and was buried.

13 And it came to pass that not many days after his death, Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, were angry with me, because of the admonitions of the Lord:.

14 fFor I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to the his word.; Ffor I had spake spoken many things unto them, and also my father, before his death; many of which sayings, are written upon mine other plates:; for a more history part are written upon mine other plates.

15 And upon these, I write the things of my soul, and many of the Sscriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass:.  For my soul delighteth in the Sscriptures;, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.

16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in sheowing me his great and marvellous works, my heart exclaimeth,:  O wretched man that I am;!  yYea, my heart sorroweth, because of my flesh.; Mmy soul grieveth, because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which doth so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent upon up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his sSpirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains.  And mine eyes hath have beheld great things;, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things;, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men, hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep, and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh?  Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart, to destroy my peace and afflict my soul?  Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul!  No longer droop in sin.  Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again, because of mine enemies.  Do not slacken my strength, because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say,:  O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul?  Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies?  Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite?!  O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road?!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness?!  O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies?!  Wilt thou make my path straight before me?!  Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way?--Bbut that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.  I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh.--Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh.  Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness.  Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God.  Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER 5

BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren.

2 But behold, their anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.

3 Yea, they did murmur against me, saying:  Our younger brother thinketh thinks to rule over us; and we have had much trial because of him; wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more because of his words.  For behold, we will not that he shall have him to be our ruler:; for it belongeth belongs unto us, which who are the elder brethren, to rule over this people.

4 Now I do not write upon these plates, all the words which they murmured against me.  But it sufficeth me to say, that they did seek to take away my life.

5 And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them, and flee into the wilderness, and all they which those who would go with me.

6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother, and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all they which those who would go with me.  And all they which those who would go with me, were they which those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.

7 And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days.  And after that we had journieyed for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents.

8 And my people would that we should call the name of the place Nephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi.

9 And all they which those who were with me, did take it upon them to call themselves the people of Nephi.

10 And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord, in all things, according to the law of Moses.

11 And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly:; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance.  And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.

12 And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father, by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written.

13 And it came to pass that we began to prosper exceedingly, and to multiply in the land.

14 And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people which who were now called Lamanites, should come upon us and destroy us:; for I knew their hatred towards me and my children, and they which those who were called my people.

15 And I did teach my people, that they should to build buildings;, and that they should to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.

16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon, save it were not built of so many precious things:; for they were not to be found upon the land;, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple.  But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

17 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people that they should to be industrious, and that they should to labor with their hands.

18 And it came to pass that they would that I should be their Kking.  But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no Kking; nevertheless, I did do for them according to that which was in my power.

19 And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher;.  wWherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time that they sought to take away my life.

20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying: Tthat:  iInasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  And behold, they were cut off from his presence.

21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity.  For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, therefore the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

22 And thus saith the Lord God,:  I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.

23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed:; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing.  And the Lord spake it, and it was done.

24 And because of their cursing which was upon them, they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.

25 And the Lord God said unto me,:  tThey shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction.

26 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people.

27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

28 And thirty years had passed away from the time we left Jerusalem.

29 And I, Nephi, had kept the record upon my plates, which I had made, of my people thus far.

30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me,:  Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.--

31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and made these plates upon which I have engraven these things.

32 And I engravened that which is pleasing unto God.  And if my people be are pleased with the things of God, they will be pleased with mine engravings which are upon these plates.

33 And if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people, they must search mine other plates.

34 And it sufficeth me to say, that forty years had passed away, and we had already had wars and contentions with our brethren.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER 6

THE words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, which he spake unto the people of Nephi:

2 Behold, my beloved brethren, that I, Jacob, having been called of God, and ordained after the manner of his holy order, and having been consecrated by my brother, Nephi, unto whom ye look as a king or a protector, and on whom ye depend for safety, behold, ye know that I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things;.

3 nNevertheless, I speak unto you again:; for I am desirous for the welfare of your souls.  Yea, mine anxiety is great for you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been.  For I have exhorted you with all diligence; and I have taught you the words of my father; and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written, from the creation of the world.

4 And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah.  And they are the words which my brother hath has desired me that I should speak unto you.  And I speak them unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God.

5 And now, the words which I shall read, are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the Hhouse of Israel; wherefore, they may be likened unto you:, for ye are of the Hhouse of Israel.  And there are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah, which may be likened unto you, because that ye are of the Hhouse of Israel.

6 And now, these are the words:  Thus saith the Lord God:  Behold, I will lift up my mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

7 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers:; they shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord:; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

8 And now I, Jacob, would speak somewhat concerning these words:.  For behold, the Lord hath has sheown me that they which those who were at Jerusalem, from whence we came, have been slain and carried away captive;.

9 nNevertheless, the Lord hath has sheown unto me that they should return again.  And he also hath has sheown unto me, that the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after that he should manifest himself, they should scourge him and crucify him, according to the words of the angel, which who spake it unto me.

10 And after that they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them.  And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted.

11 Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful:; wherefore, they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance.

12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet hath has written:; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved:; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he hath has made unto his children; and for this cause, the prophet hath has written these things.

13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord, shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed.  For the people of the Lord are they which who wait for him:; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.

14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time, to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believeth in him.

15 And they that believe not in him, shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine.  And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel:.

16 fFor shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

17 But thus saith the Lord:  Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered:; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people.  For thus saith the Lord:  I will contend with them that contendeth with thee,--

18 aAnd I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

CHAPTER 7

YeaEA, for thus saith the Lord:  Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever?  For thus saith the Lord:  Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement?  To whom have I put thee away, or to which of my creditors have I sold you?  Yea, to whom have I sold you?  Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away;.

2 wWherefore, when I come came, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer.  O Hhouse of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver?  Behold, at my rebuke, I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink, because the waters are dried up;, and they die because of thirst.

3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season unto thee, O Hhouse of Israel.  When ye are weary, he waketh morning by morning.  He waketh mine ear to hear as the learned.

5 The Lord God hath appointed opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

6 I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.  I hid not my face from shame and spitting,.

7 fFor the Lord God will help me:, therefore shall I not be confounded.  Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed;.

8 aAnd the Lord is near, and he justifieth me.  Who will contend with me?  lLet us stand together.  Who is mine adversary?  lLet him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth:.

9 fFor the Lord God will help me.  And all they which who shall condemn me, behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall eat them up.

10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord;, that obeyeth the voice of his servant;, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?

11 Behold, all ye that kindleth fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks:, walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks which ye have kindled.  This shall ye have of mine hand:--Yye shall lie down in sorrow.

CHAPTER 8

HearkenEARKEN unto me, ye that follow after righteousness:.  Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.

2 Look unto Abraham, your father;, and unto Sarah, she that bare you:; for I called him alone, and blessed him.

3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion:, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation:; for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light thing of for the people.

5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the people.  The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath:; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein, shall die in like manner.  But my salvation shall be forever;, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law;, fear ye not the reproach of men;, neither be ye afraid of their revilings:.

8 fFor the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool.  But my righteousness shall be forever;, and my salvation from generation to generation.

9 Awake, awake!  Put on strength, O arm of the Lord:; awake as in the ancient days.  Art thou not it he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

10 Art thou not it which he who hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

11 Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy:; sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

12 I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you:.  Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, which who shall die, and of the Sson of man, which who shall be made like unto grass;?

13 aAnd forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth;, and hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy?  And where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The captive exile hasteneth, that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.--

15 But I am the Lord thy God, whose waves roared:; the Lord of Hosts is my name.

16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and hath covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion,:  Behold, thou art my people.

17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury;--thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out;--

18 aAnd none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up.

19 These two sons are come unto thee;, who shall be sorry for thee?--thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword:--Aand by whom shall I comfort thee?

20 Thy sons have fainted, save these two:; they lie at the head of all the streets,; as a wild bull in a net:, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, and not with wine:

22 tThus saith thy Lord, Tthe Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people,; Bbehold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which I who have said to thy soul,:  Bow down, that we may go over:--and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

24 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city:; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee, the uncircumcised and the unclean.

25 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem:; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER 9

AndND now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord; that he hath has covenanted with all the Hhouse of Israel;--

2 tThat he hath has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time cometh comes that they shall be restored to the true Cchurch and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.

3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

4 For I know that thou hast ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies, we shall see God.

5 Yea, and I know that ye know, that in the body he shall sheow himself unto they those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the Ggreat Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man, in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.

6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the Ggreat Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord;.

7 wWherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement;--save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption.  Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man, must needs have remained to an endless duration.  And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

8 O the wisdom of God!, his mercy and grace!  For behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that Aangel which who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the Ddevil, to rise no more.

9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become Ddevils, Aangels to a Ddevil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents;, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder, and all manner of secret works of darkness.

10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up its their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored, one to the other:; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

13 O how great the plan of our God!  For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us, in the flesh;, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect;.

14 wWherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

15 And it shall come to pass, that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, inasmuch insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.

16 And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they which who are righteous, shall be righteous still, and they which who are filthy, shall be filthy still; wherefore, they which who are filthy, are the Ddevil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames ascendeth up forever and ever, and hath has no end.

17 O the greatness and the justice of our God!  For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.

18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they which who have believed in the Holy One of Israel;, they which who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it;, they shall inherit the Kkingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world:, and their joy shall be full forever.

19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel!  For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster, the Ddevil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

20 O how great the holiness of our God!  For he knoweth all things, and there is not any thing, anything save he know it.

21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men, if they will hearken unto his voice:; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men;, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, which who belong to the family of Adam.--

22 And he suffereth this, that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him, at the great and judgment day.

23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptiszed in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the Kkingdom of God.

24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptiszed in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, hath has spoken it;.

25 wWherefore, he hath has given a law; and where there is no law given, there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment, there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation, the mercies of the Holy One of Israel hath have claim upon them, because of the atonement:; for they are delivered by the power of him:.

26 fFor the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the Ddevil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

27 But wo unto him that hath has the law given;, yea, that hath has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation:, for awful is his state!

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one!  O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned, they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves., Wwherefore, their wisdom is foolishness, and it profiteth them not.  Wherefore And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good, if it so be that they hearken unto the counsels of God.

30 But wo unto the rich, which who are rich as to the things of the world.  For because that they are rich, they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their God.  And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

31 And wo unto the deaf, that will not hear:; for they shall perish.

32 Wo unto the blind, that will not see:; for they shall perish also.

33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart:, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day.

34 Wo unto the liar:, for he shall be thrust down to hell.

35 Wo unto the murderer, who deliberately killeth:, for he shall die.

36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms:, for they shall be thrust down to hell.

37 Yea, wo unto they those that worship Iidols:, for the Ddevil of all Ddevils delighteth in them.

38 And, in fine, wo unto all they that those who die in their sins:; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.

39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that hHoly God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one.  Remember, to be carnally-minded, is death, and to be spiritually-minded, is life eternal.

40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words.  Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.  Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you:; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth:; for I have spoken the words of your Maker.  I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear it them not, for they love the truth, and are not shaken.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One.  Remember that his paths are righteousness.  Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel:; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way, save it be by the gate,; for he cannot be deceived;, for the Lord God is his name.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open,; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, which who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches;--yea, they are they, whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the prudent, shall be hid from them forever;--yea, that happiness which is prepared for the Ssaints.

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words:.  Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you:; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his Aall-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood.

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God which who is the rock of your salvation.

46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day, when justice shall be administered unto the righteous;, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim,:  Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty.--Bbut I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the Ddevil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things?  Would I harrow up your souls, if your minds were pure?  Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truths, if ye were freed from sin?

48 Behold, if ye were holy, I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.

49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.

50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy.  Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name at by night.  Let your hearts rejoice,.

53 aAnd behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescentsions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he hath has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations, they shall become a righteous branch unto the Hhouse of Israel.

54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words.  Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER 10

AND now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.

2 For behold, the promises which we have obtained, are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it hath has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh, because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ,--(for in the last night the Aangel spake unto me that this should be his name,)--should come among the Jews, among they which those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him:--Ffor thus it behooveth our God;, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations, they would repent, and know that he be their God;.

5 bBut because of priest-crafts priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.

6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodsheds, shall come upon them; and they which who shall not be destroyed, shall be scattered among all nations.

7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God:  When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles:, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute.?

10 But behold, Tthis land, saith said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance;, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles;, and there shall be no kings upon the land, which who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations;.

13 aAnd he that fighteth against Zion, shall perish, saith God:.

14 fFor he that raiseth up a king against me, shall perish., Ffor I, the Lord, the Kking of Hheaven, will be their king;, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.

15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled, which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations;.

16 wWherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish:; for they are they which who are the whore of all the earth; for they which who are not for me, are against me, saith our God.

17 For I will fulfill my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh.--

18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God:  I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the Hhouse of Israel.--

19 Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and they which them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance:; Ffor it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands;, wherefore, I will have all men that dwell thereon, that they shall worship me, saith God.

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God hath has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land:, for the Lord hath has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea.

21 But great is are the promises of the Lord unto they which them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore, as it sayeth says isles, there must needs be more than this;, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.

22 For behold, the Lord God hath has led away from time to time from the Hhouse of Israel, according to his will and pleasure.  And now, behold, the Lord remembereth all they which them who have been broken off;, wherefore, he remembereth us also.

23 Therefore cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves:--to choose the way of everlasting death, or the way of eternal life.

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the Ddevil and the flesh; and remember, that after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death, by the power of the resurrection;, and also from everlasting death, by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the Eeternal Kkingdom of God, that ye may praise him through Ggrace Ddivine.  Amen.

CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER 11

AND now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless, only these things have I caused to be written:, for the things which I have written, sufficeth me.

2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah:, for my soul delighteth in his words.  For I will liken his words unto my people;, and I will send them forth unto all my children:, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob also hath has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children, to prove unto them that my words are true.  Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.  Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses;, and he proveth all his words.

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ:; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

5 And also, my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy, in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people, that save Christ should come, all men must perish.

7 For if there be no Christ, there be no God; and if there be no God, we are not, for there could have been no creation.--But there is a God, and he is Christ;, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

8 And now, I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people which shall see these words, may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men.  Now, these are the words;, and ye may liken them unto you, and unto all men.

CHAPTER 12

TheHE word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it,.

3 aAnd many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:  and they shall beat their swords into ploughw-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks:--nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.

6 Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:.

8 tTheir land is also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands,--that which their own fingers have made:.

9 aAnd the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not:, therefore, forgive him not.

10 O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord, and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee.

11 And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

12 For the day of the Lord of hHosts soon cometh upon all nations; yea, upon every one; yea, upon the proud and lofty, and upon every one which who is lifted up;, and he shall be brought low:.

13 yYea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan,;

14 aAnd upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people,;

15 aAnd upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,;

16 aAnd upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.

17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low:; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them; and the glory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

21 tTo go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them, and the majesty of his glory shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils:; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

CHAPTER 13

ForOR behold, the Lord, the Lord of hHosts, doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water,--

2 tThe mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,;

3 tThe captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

4 And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor:; the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say,:  Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let not this ruin come under thy hand:--

 7 iIn that day shall he swear, saying,:  I will not be a healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing:; make me not a ruler of the people.

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen:, because their tongues are and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 The sheow of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it.  Wo unto their souls!, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.!

10 Say unto the righteous, that it is well with them:; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Wo unto the wicked!, for they shall perish:; for the reward of their hands shall be upon them.!

12 And my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.  O my people, they which who lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the ways of thy paths.

13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof:; for ye have eaten up the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor in your houses.

15 What mean ye?  Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of hHosts.

16 Moreover, the Lord saith,:  Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:--

17 tTherefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon,;

19 tThe chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,;

20 tThe bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings,;

21 tThe rings, and nose-jewels,;

22 tThe changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins,;

23 tThe glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the vaeils.

24 And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell, there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth:; burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.

CHAPTER 14

AndND in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying,:  We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel:; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, them they that are left in Zion, and remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:--

4 wWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud of and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night:; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

CHAPTER 15

And then I will sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard.  My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:.

2 aAnd he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein:; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?  wWherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes.

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard:--I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:;

6 aAnd I will lay it waste:; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns:; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hHosts is the Hhouse of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant:; and he looked for judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.

8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

9 In mine ears, said the Lord of hHosts, Oof a truth many houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a horner shall yield an ephah.

11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink;, that continue until night, and wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts:; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge:; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure:; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:.

16 bBut the Lord of hHosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope:;

19 tThat say,:  Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it:; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.

20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil;, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Wo unto the wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:;

23 which Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust:; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hHosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore, is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them:; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:; none shall be weary nor stumble among them;.

27 nNone shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:;

28 wWhose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.--

29 They shall roar like young lions:; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea:; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

CHAPTER IX.

CHAPTER 16

IN the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims:; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said,:  Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hHosts:; the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I,:  Wo is unto me!  for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips,; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hHosts.-- 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:;

7 aAnd he laid it upon my mouth, and said,:  Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,:  Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then I said,:  Here am I; send me.

9 And he said,:  Go, and tell this people,--Hear ye indeed, but they understand understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;--lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

11 Then said I,:  Lord, how long?  And he said,:  Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;

12 aAnd the Lord have removed men far away, for there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

13 But yet in it there shall be a tenth, and they shall return, and shall be eaten:, as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves:; so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

CHAPTER 17

AndND it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, and that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up towards Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying,:  Syria is confederate with Ephraim.  And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah,:  Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

4 aAnd say unto him,:  Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoking fire-brands firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,: 6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, yea, the son of Tabeal:.

7 tThus saith the Lord God,:  iIt shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rezin:; and within threescore three score and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son.  If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

10 Moreover, the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,:

11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above.

12 But Ahaz said,:  I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.

13 And he said,:  Hear ye now, O house of David; Iis it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign:--Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.

16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet:; and it shall also consume the beard.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

22 aAnd it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk they shall give, he shall eat butter: