2 NephiChapter4

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

I, Nephi, will now say something about the prophecies my father spoke concerning Joseph, who was carried into Egypt.

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.

Joseph truly prophesied about all his descendants, and there are not many prophecies greater than the ones he wrote. He prophesied about us and our future generations, and those prophecies are written on the brass plates.

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 said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.

When my father had finished speaking about the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons and his daughters, and said to them, "My sons and my daughters, children of my firstborn: I want you to listen to my words.

For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch 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.

For the Lord God has said, 'As long as you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land; but if you do not keep my commandments, you will be cut off from my presence.'

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

But my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave without leaving a blessing on you; for I know that if you are raised in the way you should go, you will not depart from it.

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.

So if you are cursed, I leave my blessing on you, so that the curse may be taken from you and answered on the heads of your parents.

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.

And because of my blessing, the Lord God will not allow you to be destroyed; he will be merciful to you and to your descendants forever."

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.

After my father had finished speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he had the sons and daughters of Lemuel brought before him.

And he spake unto them, saying: Behold, my sons and my daughters, 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.

And he said to them, "My sons and my daughters, children of my second son: I leave you the same blessing I left the sons and daughters of Laman. You will not be utterly destroyed; in the end your descendants will be blessed."

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

When my father had finished speaking to them, he spoke to the sons of Ishmael, and indeed to his whole household.

And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou shall 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.

And after he had finished speaking to them, he said to Sam, "You are blessed, you and your descendants, for you will inherit the land like your brother Nephi. Your descendants will be counted among his descendants; you will be like your brother, and your descendants like his; and you will be blessed all your days."

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

After my father, Lehi, had spoken to all his household according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord that was in him, he grew old. And he died, and was buried.

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.

Not many days after his death, Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael were angry with me because of the Lord's warnings.

For I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to his word; for I had 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.

For I, Nephi, had been compelled to speak to them according to his word. I had said many things to them, and my father had too, before his death; many of those sayings are written on my other plates, for the more historical account is written there.

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

On these plates I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures that are engraved on the brass plates. For my soul delights in the scriptures, and my heart ponders them and writes them for the learning and the profit of my children.

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

My soul delights in the things of the Lord,and my heart ponders continually on the things I have seen and heard.

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

And yet, despite the great goodness of the Lordin showing me his great and marvelous works,my heart cries out: O wretched man that I am!My heart sorrows because of my flesh;my soul grieves because of my sins.

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

I am surrounded by the temptations and the sinsthat so easily beset me.

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

And when I long to rejoice, my heart groans because of my sins;and yet, I know in whom I have trusted.

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.

My God has been my support;he has led me through my afflictions in the wilderness;he has preserved me on the waters of the great deep.

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

He has filled me with his love,even to the consuming of my flesh.

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

He has put my enemies to shameand made them tremble before me.

Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime.

He has heard my cry by day,and he has given me knowledge by visions in the night.

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

By day I have grown bold in mighty prayer before him;I have sent my voice up on high,and angels came down and ministered to me.

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

On the wings of his Spirit my body has been carried awayonto very high mountains.And my eyes have seen great things,things too great for man,so I was commanded not to write them.

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?

O then, if I have seen such great things,if the Lord in his condescension toward humankindhas visited people 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 failbecause of my afflictions?

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?

And why should I give in to sin because of my flesh?Why should I give way to temptations,letting the evil one find room in my heartto destroy my peace and afflict my soul?Why am I angry because of my enemy?

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

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

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

Do not grow angry again because of my enemies.Do not let my strength fail because of my afflictions.

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.

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

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?

O Lord, will you redeem my soul?Will you deliver me out of the hands of my enemies?Will you make me shake at the appearance of sin?

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!

May the gates of hell be shut continually before me,for my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite!O Lord, do not shut the gates of your righteousness before me,so that I may walk in the path of the low valleyand be strict in the plain road!

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—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

O Lord, will you encircle me in the robe of your righteousness!O Lord, will you make a way for my escape from my enemies!Will you make my path straight before me!Do not put a stumbling block in my way,but clear the way before me;do not block my path,but block the paths of my enemy.

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.

O Lord, I have trusted in you,and I will trust in you forever.I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh,for I know that cursed is he who puts his trust in the arm of flesh.Yes, cursed is he who puts his trust in manor makes flesh his arm.

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.

Yes, I know that God will give liberally to him who asks.My God will give to me, if I do not ask amiss;so I will lift up my voice to you;I will cry to you, my God, the rock of my righteousness.My voice will forever ascend up to you,my rock and my everlasting God. Amen.