1 NephiChapter4

And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

I said to my brothers, "Let's go up to Jerusalem again, and let's be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord. He is mightier than all the earth — so why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, or even his tens of thousands?

Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.

So let's go. Let's be strong like Moses: he spoke to the waters of the Red Sea, and they divided this way and that, and our fathers came through out of captivity on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh followed them and drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.

Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.

You know this is true. And you know an angel has spoken to you — so how can you doubt? Let's go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, just like he delivered our fathers, and to destroy Laban, just like he destroyed the Egyptians."

Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.

Even after I said all this, they were still angry and still complaining, but they followed me until we came to the walls of Jerusalem.

And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.

It was night, and I had them hide outside the walls. Then I, Nephi, crept into the city and headed for the house of Laban.

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing in advance what I would do.

Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.

Still, I went on, and as I came near the house of Laban, I saw a man fallen to the ground in front of me, drunk with wine.

And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.

When I came to him, I found that it was Laban.

And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.

I saw his sword and drew it from its sheath. The hilt was pure gold, the workmanship was remarkably fine, and I saw that the blade was made of the most precious steel.

And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.

Then the Spirit urged me to kill Laban. But I said in my heart, "Never at any time have I shed the blood of a man," and I shrank back and wished I didn't have to kill him.

And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.

And the Spirit said to me again, "The Lord has delivered him into your hands." And I myself knew that he had tried to kill me, that he wouldn't listen to the commandments of the Lord, and that he had taken our property.

And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;

And the Spirit said to me again, "Kill him, for the Lord has delivered him into your hands.

Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

The Lord kills the wicked to bring about his righteous purposes. It is better that one man perish than that a nation fade away and perish in unbelief."

And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

When I heard this, I remembered the words the Lord had spoken to me in the wilderness: "As long as your descendants keep my commandments, they will prosper in the promised land."

Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

And I thought about how my people couldn't keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses unless they had the law itself,

And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

and I knew that the law was engraved on the brass plates.

And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this very reason: so I could get the records, as he had commanded.

Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.

So I obeyed the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of his head, and cut off his head with his own sword.

And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.

Then I put on Laban's clothes, every piece of them, and strapped his armor around my waist.

And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.

And I went to Laban's treasury. On the way there, I saw Laban's servant, the one who had the keys of the treasury, and I commanded him in Laban's voice to come with me into the treasury.

And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.

He thought I was his master, Laban, because he saw the clothes and the sword strapped at my waist.

And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.

He talked to me about the elders of the Jews, since he knew that his master, Laban, had been out among them that night,

And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.

and I spoke to him as if I were Laban.

And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.

I told him that I would be carrying the engravings on the brass plates to my older brothers outside the walls,

And I also bade him that he should follow me.

and I told him to follow me.

And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.

He thought I was talking about the brothers of the church, and that I really was the Laban I had killed, so he followed me,

And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.

talking to me again and again about the elders of the Jews as I made my way out to my brothers.

And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.

When Laman saw me, he was terrified, and so were Lemuel and Sam. They ran from me, thinking I was Laban — that Laban had killed me and was coming to take their lives too.

And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.

I called after them, and they heard me and stopped running.

And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.

But when Laban's servant saw my brothers, he began to tremble, and he was about to run back to the city of Jerusalem.

And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.

Now I, Nephi, was a large man, and the Lord had given me great strength, so I grabbed Laban's servant and held him so he couldn't run.

And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.

I told him that if he would listen to my words — as the Lord lives, and as I live — if he would listen to our words, we would spare his life.

And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.

I swore an oath to him that he didn't need to be afraid, that he would be a free man like us if he would come down into the wilderness with us.

And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.

And I said, "Surely the Lord has commanded us to do this thing. And shouldn't we be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? So if you will come down into the wilderness to my father, you will have a place with us."

And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.

Zoram took courage at my words. (Zoram was the servant's name.) He promised to go down into the wilderness to our father, and he made an oath to us that he would stay with us from then on.

Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.

We wanted him to stay with us so the Jews wouldn't find out about our escape into the wilderness and chase us down and destroy us.

And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.

Once Zoram had made that oath, our fears about him were gone.

And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father.

Then we took the brass plates and Laban's servant, and set out into the wilderness, and traveled to our father's tent.