HelamanChapter7

v1.10

Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;

And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.

And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;

Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—

Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:

Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—

Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.

But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.

And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.

And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.

And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.

And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?

Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!

And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.

Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo?

O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?

But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.

For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.

For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.

Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton!

Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!

Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!

And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.

In the sixty-ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward. He had been out among the people there, preaching the word of God to them and prophesying many things. But they rejected all his words, so he couldn't stay among them and returned to the land where he was born.

He saw the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and the Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats. They had usurped the power and authority of the land, set aside the commandments of God, and weren't in the least right before him. They gave no justice to the people. They condemned the righteous for being righteous and let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because they had money. They did it to hold office at the head of the government, to rule and act as they pleased, and to get rich and win the world's glory. And they did it so they could more easily commit adultery, steal, kill, and do whatever they wanted. Now, this great wickedness had come upon the Nephites over just a few years, and when Nephi saw it, his heart swelled with sorrow. He cried out in the agony of his soul:

Oh, that I could have lived in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have rejoiced with him in the promised land! In those days his people were easy to persuade, firm in keeping the commandments of God, and slow to be led into sin. They were quick to listen to the words of the Lord. If only my days could have been in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brothers.

But I am resigned to it: these are my days, and my soul will be filled with sorrow because of this wickedness of my brothers.

Now, all this happened on a tower in Nephi's garden, by the highway that led to the main market in the city of Zarahemla. Nephi had bowed down on that tower, which stood near the garden gate, right by the highway. Some men passing by saw Nephi up there, pouring out his soul to God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people gathered in crowds to learn what was causing such great mourning over the people's wickedness. When Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds that had gathered.

He opened his mouth and said to them: Why have you gathered together? Is it so that I may tell you about your sins? Yes, it is because I have climbed my tower to pour out my soul to my God, in the great sorrow of my heart, a sorrow that comes from your sins! And because of my mourning and lamenting, you have gathered together, and you are amazed. Yes, you have great need to be amazed; yes, you ought to be amazed because you have given yourselves over, and the devil has such a great hold on your hearts.

Yes, how could you have given in to the enticements of the one who is seeking to hurl your souls down to everlasting misery and endless woe? O repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? It is because you have hardened your hearts. You will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd; you have provoked him to anger against you. And instead of gathering you, unless you repent, he will scatter you, and you will become food for dogs and wild animals.

O, how could you have forgotten your God on the very day that he has delivered you? But it is to build yourselves up, to be praised by others, and to get gold and silver. And you have set your hearts on riches and the empty things of the world, and for them you murder, plunder, steal, bear false witness against your neighbor, and commit every kind of sin. And for this reason woe will come to you unless you repent. For if you will not repent, this great city and all the great cities around it that are in the land we possess will be taken away, so that you will have no place in them. For the Lord will not grant you strength, as he has until now, to withstand your enemies.

For thus says the Lord: I will not show my strength to the wicked, to one more than another, except to those who repent of their sins and listen to my words. So now, my brothers, it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent. For they are more righteous than you, because they have not sinned against the great knowledge you have received. So the Lord will be merciful to them; he will lengthen their lives and increase their descendants, even while you yourselves will be utterly destroyed unless you repent.

Woe to you because of that great abomination that has come among you! And you have joined yourselves to it, to that secret band that Gadianton established! Woe will come to you because of the pride you have let into your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond what is good, because of your great riches! Woe to you because of your wickedness and abominations!

And unless you repent, you will perish. Your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from the face of the earth. Now, I do not say of myself that these things will be, because it is not of myself that I know them. But I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known to me. Therefore I testify that they will be.

Tap a verse number to see the original text.

OriginalModern English

Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

In the sixty-ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;

He had been out among the people there, preaching the word of God to them and prophesying many things.

And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.

But they rejected all his words, so he couldn't stay among them and returned to the land where he was born.

And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;

He saw the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and the Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats. They had usurped the power and authority of the land, set aside the commandments of God, and weren't in the least right before him. They gave no justice to the people.

Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—

They condemned the righteous for being righteous and let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because they had money. They did it to hold office at the head of the government, to rule and act as they pleased, and to get rich and win the world's glory. And they did it so they could more easily commit adultery, steal, kill, and do whatever they wanted.

Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:

Now, this great wickedness had come upon the Nephites over just a few years, and when Nephi saw it, his heart swelled with sorrow. He cried out in the agony of his soul:

Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—

Oh, that I could have lived in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have rejoiced with him in the promised land! In those days his people were easy to persuade, firm in keeping the commandments of God, and slow to be led into sin. They were quick to listen to the words of the Lord.

Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.

If only my days could have been in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brothers.

But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.

But I am resigned to it: these are my days, and my soul will be filled with sorrow because of this wickedness of my brothers.

And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.

Now, all this happened on a tower in Nephi's garden, by the highway that led to the main market in the city of Zarahemla. Nephi had bowed down on that tower, which stood near the garden gate, right by the highway.

And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.

Some men passing by saw Nephi up there, pouring out his soul to God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people gathered in crowds to learn what was causing such great mourning over the people's wickedness.

And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.

When Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds that had gathered.

And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?

He opened his mouth and said to them: Why have you gathered together? Is it so that I may tell you about your sins?

Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!

Yes, it is because I have climbed my tower to pour out my soul to my God, in the great sorrow of my heart, a sorrow that comes from your sins!

And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.

And because of my mourning and lamenting, you have gathered together, and you are amazed. Yes, you have great need to be amazed; yes, you ought to be amazed because you have given yourselves over, and the devil has such a great hold on your hearts.

Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo?

Yes, how could you have given in to the enticements of the one who is seeking to hurl your souls down to everlasting misery and endless woe?

O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

O repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

It is because you have hardened your hearts. You will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd; you have provoked him to anger against you.

And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

And instead of gathering you, unless you repent, he will scatter you, and you will become food for dogs and wild animals.

O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?

O, how could you have forgotten your God on the very day that he has delivered you?

But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

But it is to build yourselves up, to be praised by others, and to get gold and silver. And you have set your hearts on riches and the empty things of the world, and for them you murder, plunder, steal, bear false witness against your neighbor, and commit every kind of sin.

And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.

And for this reason woe will come to you unless you repent. For if you will not repent, this great city and all the great cities around it that are in the land we possess will be taken away, so that you will have no place in them. For the Lord will not grant you strength, as he has until now, to withstand your enemies.

For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.

For thus says the Lord: I will not show my strength to the wicked, to one more than another, except to those who repent of their sins and listen to my words. So now, my brothers, it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent.

For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.

For they are more righteous than you, because they have not sinned against the great knowledge you have received. So the Lord will be merciful to them; he will lengthen their lives and increase their descendants, even while you yourselves will be utterly destroyed unless you repent.

Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton!

Woe to you because of that great abomination that has come among you! And you have joined yourselves to it, to that secret band that Gadianton established!

Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!

Woe will come to you because of the pride you have let into your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond what is good, because of your great riches!

Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!

Woe to you because of your wickedness and abominations!

And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

And unless you repent, you will perish. Your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from the face of the earth.

Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.

Now, I do not say of myself that these things will be, because it is not of myself that I know them. But I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known to me. Therefore I testify that they will be.

OriginalModern English
Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward. For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them; And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.
In the sixty-ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward. He had been out among the people there, preaching the word of God to them and prophesying many things. But they rejected all his words, so he couldn't stay among them and returned to the land where he was born.
And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men; Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills— Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:
He saw the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and the Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats. They had usurped the power and authority of the land, set aside the commandments of God, and weren't in the least right before him. They gave no justice to the people. They condemned the righteous for being righteous and let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because they had money. They did it to hold office at the head of the government, to rule and act as they pleased, and to get rich and win the world's glory. And they did it so they could more easily commit adultery, steal, kill, and do whatever they wanted. Now, this great wickedness had come upon the Nephites over just a few years, and when Nephi saw it, his heart swelled with sorrow. He cried out in the agony of his soul:
Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord— Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.
Oh, that I could have lived in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have rejoiced with him in the promised land! In those days his people were easy to persuade, firm in keeping the commandments of God, and slow to be led into sin. They were quick to listen to the words of the Lord. If only my days could have been in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brothers.
But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.
But I am resigned to it: these are my days, and my soul will be filled with sorrow because of this wickedness of my brothers.
And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway. And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people. And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.
Now, all this happened on a tower in Nephi's garden, by the highway that led to the main market in the city of Zarahemla. Nephi had bowed down on that tower, which stood near the garden gate, right by the highway. Some men passing by saw Nephi up there, pouring out his soul to God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people gathered in crowds to learn what was causing such great mourning over the people's wickedness. When Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds that had gathered.
And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities? Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities! And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.
He opened his mouth and said to them: Why have you gathered together? Is it so that I may tell you about your sins? Yes, it is because I have climbed my tower to pour out my soul to my God, in the great sorrow of my heart, a sorrow that comes from your sins! And because of my mourning and lamenting, you have gathered together, and you are amazed. Yes, you have great need to be amazed; yes, you ought to be amazed because you have given yourselves over, and the devil has such a great hold on your hearts.
Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo? O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you. And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.
Yes, how could you have given in to the enticements of the one who is seeking to hurl your souls down to everlasting misery and endless woe? O repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? It is because you have hardened your hearts. You will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd; you have provoked him to anger against you. And instead of gathering you, unless you repent, he will scatter you, and you will become food for dogs and wild animals.
O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity. And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.
O, how could you have forgotten your God on the very day that he has delivered you? But it is to build yourselves up, to be praised by others, and to get gold and silver. And you have set your hearts on riches and the empty things of the world, and for them you murder, plunder, steal, bear false witness against your neighbor, and commit every kind of sin. And for this reason woe will come to you unless you repent. For if you will not repent, this great city and all the great cities around it that are in the land we possess will be taken away, so that you will have no place in them. For the Lord will not grant you strength, as he has until now, to withstand your enemies.
For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent. For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.
For thus says the Lord: I will not show my strength to the wicked, to one more than another, except to those who repent of their sins and listen to my words. So now, my brothers, it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent. For they are more righteous than you, because they have not sinned against the great knowledge you have received. So the Lord will be merciful to them; he will lengthen their lives and increase their descendants, even while you yourselves will be utterly destroyed unless you repent.
Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton! Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches! Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!
Woe to you because of that great abomination that has come among you! And you have joined yourselves to it, to that secret band that Gadianton established! Woe will come to you because of the pride you have let into your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond what is good, because of your great riches! Woe to you because of your wickedness and abominations!
And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth. Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.
And unless you repent, you will perish. Your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from the face of the earth. Now, I do not say of myself that these things will be, because it is not of myself that I know them. But I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known to me. Therefore I testify that they will be.

Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

In the sixty-ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;

He had been out among the people there, preaching the word of God to them and prophesying many things.

And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.

But they rejected all his words, so he couldn't stay among them and returned to the land where he was born.

And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;

He saw the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and the Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats. They had usurped the power and authority of the land, set aside the commandments of God, and weren't in the least right before him. They gave no justice to the people.

Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—

They condemned the righteous for being righteous and let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because they had money. They did it to hold office at the head of the government, to rule and act as they pleased, and to get rich and win the world's glory. And they did it so they could more easily commit adultery, steal, kill, and do whatever they wanted.

Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:

Now, this great wickedness had come upon the Nephites over just a few years, and when Nephi saw it, his heart swelled with sorrow. He cried out in the agony of his soul:

Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—

Oh, that I could have lived in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have rejoiced with him in the promised land! In those days his people were easy to persuade, firm in keeping the commandments of God, and slow to be led into sin. They were quick to listen to the words of the Lord.

Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.

If only my days could have been in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brothers.

But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.

But I am resigned to it: these are my days, and my soul will be filled with sorrow because of this wickedness of my brothers.

And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.

Now, all this happened on a tower in Nephi's garden, by the highway that led to the main market in the city of Zarahemla. Nephi had bowed down on that tower, which stood near the garden gate, right by the highway.

And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.

Some men passing by saw Nephi up there, pouring out his soul to God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people gathered in crowds to learn what was causing such great mourning over the people's wickedness.

And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.

When Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds that had gathered.

And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?

He opened his mouth and said to them: Why have you gathered together? Is it so that I may tell you about your sins?

Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!

Yes, it is because I have climbed my tower to pour out my soul to my God, in the great sorrow of my heart, a sorrow that comes from your sins!

And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.

And because of my mourning and lamenting, you have gathered together, and you are amazed. Yes, you have great need to be amazed; yes, you ought to be amazed because you have given yourselves over, and the devil has such a great hold on your hearts.

Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo?

Yes, how could you have given in to the enticements of the one who is seeking to hurl your souls down to everlasting misery and endless woe?

O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

O repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

It is because you have hardened your hearts. You will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd; you have provoked him to anger against you.

And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

And instead of gathering you, unless you repent, he will scatter you, and you will become food for dogs and wild animals.

O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?

O, how could you have forgotten your God on the very day that he has delivered you?

But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

But it is to build yourselves up, to be praised by others, and to get gold and silver. And you have set your hearts on riches and the empty things of the world, and for them you murder, plunder, steal, bear false witness against your neighbor, and commit every kind of sin.

And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.

And for this reason woe will come to you unless you repent. For if you will not repent, this great city and all the great cities around it that are in the land we possess will be taken away, so that you will have no place in them. For the Lord will not grant you strength, as he has until now, to withstand your enemies.

For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.

For thus says the Lord: I will not show my strength to the wicked, to one more than another, except to those who repent of their sins and listen to my words. So now, my brothers, it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent.

For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.

For they are more righteous than you, because they have not sinned against the great knowledge you have received. So the Lord will be merciful to them; he will lengthen their lives and increase their descendants, even while you yourselves will be utterly destroyed unless you repent.

Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton!

Woe to you because of that great abomination that has come among you! And you have joined yourselves to it, to that secret band that Gadianton established!

Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!

Woe will come to you because of the pride you have let into your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond what is good, because of your great riches!

Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!

Woe to you because of your wickedness and abominations!

And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

And unless you repent, you will perish. Your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from the face of the earth.

Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.

Now, I do not say of myself that these things will be, because it is not of myself that I know them. But I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known to me. Therefore I testify that they will be.