3 NephiChapter4

And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth year those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down and to sally forth from the hills, and out of the mountains, and the wilderness, and their strongholds, and their secret places, and began to take possession of the lands, both which were in the land south and which were in the land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and the cities which had been left desolate.

Late in the eighteenth year those armies of robbers had made themselves ready for battle, and they began to come down and pour out of the hills, out of the mountains, out of the wilderness, out of their strongholds and their secret places. They began to take possession of the lands, both in the land south and in the land north, taking over all the lands the Nephites had abandoned and the cities that had been left empty.

But behold, there were no wild beasts nor game in those lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and there was no game for the robbers save it were in the wilderness.

But there were no wild animals and no game in the lands the Nephites had abandoned, and there was no game for the robbers anywhere but in the wilderness.

And the robbers could not exist save it were in the wilderness, for the want of food; for the Nephites had left their lands desolate, and had gathered their flocks and their herds and all their substance, and they were in one body.

In fact, the robbers could not survive anywhere but in the wilderness, for lack of food, because the Nephites had left their lands bare. They had gathered their flocks and their herds and everything they owned, and they were all together in one body.

Therefore, there was no chance for the robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in open battle against the Nephites; and the Nephites being in one body, and having so great a number, and having reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land; and thus the eighteenth year did pass away.

So there was no way for the robbers to plunder and get food except to come up in open battle against the Nephites. And the Nephites were in one body, and their numbers were so large, and they had reserved provisions for themselves, and horses and cattle and flocks of every kind, enough to live on for seven years. In that time they hoped to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land. And so the eighteenth year passed.

And it came to pass that in the nineteenth year Giddianhi found that it was expedient that he should go up to battle against the Nephites, for there was no way that they could subsist save it were to plunder and rob and murder.

In the nineteenth year Giddianhi saw that he had no choice but to go up to battle against the Nephites, because there was no way for his men to live except by plundering and robbing and murdering.

And they durst not spread themselves upon the face of the land insomuch that they could raise grain, lest the Nephites should come upon them and slay them; therefore Giddianhi gave commandment unto his armies that in this year they should go up to battle against the Nephites.

They did not dare spread themselves out across the land far enough to raise grain, for fear the Nephites would come on them and kill them. So Giddianhi commanded his armies to go up to battle against the Nephites that year.

And it came to pass that they did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood.

They came up to battle in the sixth month. Great and terrible was the day they came up to battle. They were outfitted in the manner of robbers: a lamb-skin around their waists, dyed in blood, their heads shaved, and head-plates on them. And great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor and because they were dyed in blood.

And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.

When the armies of the Nephites saw the appearance of Giddianhi's army, they all fell to the ground and lifted up their cries to the Lord their God, asking him to spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.

And it came to pass that when the armies of Giddianhi saw this they began to shout with a loud voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies.

When the armies of Giddianhi saw this, they began to shout with a loud voice for joy, because they thought the Nephites had fallen down in fear at the terror of their armies.

But in this thing they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection; therefore, when the armies of Giddianhi did rush upon them they were prepared to meet them; yea, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them.

But in this they were disappointed. The Nephites did not fear them. They feared their God, and they were pleading with him for protection. So when the armies of Giddianhi rushed at them, they were ready for them. In the Lord's strength they met them.

And the battle commenced in this the sixth month; and great and terrible was the battle thereof, yea, great and terrible was the slaughter thereof, insomuch that there never was known so great a slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem.

The battle began in that sixth month. Great and terrible was the battle, and great and terrible was the slaughter, so terrible that there had never been such a slaughter known among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem.

And notwithstanding the threatenings and the oaths which Giddianhi had made, behold, the Nephites did beat them, insomuch that they did fall back from before them.

And in spite of all the threats and the oaths Giddianhi had made, the Nephites beat them, and they fell back before them.

And it came to pass that Gidgiddoni commanded that his armies should pursue them as far as the borders of the wilderness, and that they should not spare any that should fall into their hands by the way; and thus they did pursue them and did slay them, to the borders of the wilderness, even until they had fulfilled the commandment of Gidgiddoni.

Then Gidgiddoni commanded his armies to pursue them as far as the borders of the wilderness, and not to spare anyone who fell into their hands along the way. And so they pursued them and killed them, all the way to the borders of the wilderness, until they had carried out Gidgiddoni's command.

And it came to pass that Giddianhi, who had stood and fought with boldness, was pursued as he fled; and being weary because of his much fighting he was overtaken and slain. And thus was the end of Giddianhi the robber.

Giddianhi himself had stood and fought with courage, and he was chased as he fled; and being worn out from all his fighting, he was overtaken and killed. And that was the end of Giddianhi the robber.

And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites did return again to their place of security. And it came to pass that this nineteenth year did pass away, and the robbers did not come again to battle; neither did they come again in the twentieth year.

The armies of the Nephites returned to their place of safety. And so the nineteenth year passed, and the robbers did not come to battle again; they did not come in the twentieth year either.

And in the twenty and first year they did not come up to battle, but they came up on all sides to lay siege round about the people of Nephi; for they did suppose that if they should cut off the people of Nephi from their lands, and should hem them in on every side, and if they should cut them off from all their outward privileges, that they could cause them to yield themselves up according to their wishes.

In the twenty-first year they did not come up to battle, but they came up on all sides to lay siege around the people of Nephi. They thought that if they cut the people of Nephi off from their lands, and hemmed them in on every side, and cut them off from every resource outside, they could force them to surrender on the robbers' terms.

Now they had appointed unto themselves another leader, whose name was Zemnarihah; therefore it was Zemnarihah that did cause that this siege should take place.

Now they had appointed a new leader for themselves, a man named Zemnarihah, and it was Zemnarihah who set this siege in place.

But behold, this was an advantage to the Nephites; for it was impossible for the robbers to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephites, because of their much provision which they had laid up in store,

But this turned out to be an advantage to the Nephites, because it was impossible for the robbers to keep up the siege long enough to have any effect on them. The Nephites had a large store of provisions laid up,

And because of the scantiness of provisions among the robbers—for behold, they had nothing save it were meat for their subsistence, which meat they did obtain in the wilderness;

and the robbers had almost nothing: they had nothing to live on but meat, and the meat they got in the wilderness.

And it came to pass that the wild game became scarce in the wilderness—insomuch that the robbers were about to perish with hunger.

And the wild game in the wilderness became scarce, until the robbers were on the point of starving to death.

And the Nephites were continually marching out by day and by night, and falling upon their armies, and cutting them off by thousands and by tens of thousands.

Meanwhile the Nephites were marching out constantly, by day and by night, falling on their armies and cutting them down by thousands and by tens of thousands.

And thus it became the desire of the people of Zemnarihah to withdraw from their design, because of the great destruction which came upon them by night and by day.

And so the people of Zemnarihah wanted to give up their plan, because of the terrible destruction that came on them night and day.

And it came to pass that Zemnarihah did give command unto his people that they should withdraw themselves from the siege, and march into the furthermost parts of the land northward.

So Zemnarihah gave the command to his people to pull back from the siege and march into the farthest parts of the land northward.

And now, Gidgiddoni being aware of their design, and knowing of their weakness because of the want of food, and the great slaughter which had been made among them, therefore he did send out his armies in the night-time, and did cut off the way of their retreat, and did place his armies in the way of their retreat.

Now Gidgiddoni knew what they intended, and he knew how weak they were from the lack of food and from the terrible slaughter that had been made among them. So he sent his armies out in the night, and he cut off their line of retreat and placed his armies in the way of it.

And this did they do in the night-time, and got on their march beyond the robbers, so that on the morrow, when the robbers began their march, they were met by the armies of the Nephites both in their front and in their rear.

They did this at night, and they got out ahead of the robbers on the march, so that in the morning, when the robbers set out, they were met by the armies of the Nephites both in front and behind.

And the robbers who were on the south were also cut off in their places of retreat. And all these things were done by command of Gidgiddoni.

And the robbers who were on the south were cut off in their places of retreat as well. All of this was done by Gidgiddoni's command.

And there were many thousands who did yield themselves up prisoners unto the Nephites, and the remainder of them were slain.

Many thousands surrendered themselves as prisoners to the Nephites, and the rest of them were killed.

And their leader, Zemnarihah, was taken and hanged upon a tree, yea, even upon the top thereof until he was dead. And when they had hanged him until he was dead they did fell the tree to the earth, and did cry with a loud voice, saying:

And their leader, Zemnarihah, was taken and hanged on a tree, on the very top of it, until he was dead. And when they had hanged him until he was dead, they cut the tree down to the ground, and they cried out with a loud voice:

May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled to the earth all who shall seek to slay them because of power and secret combinations, even as this man hath been felled to the earth.

"May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, so that they may cut down to the ground all who seek to kill them because of power and secret combinations, just as this man has been cut down to the ground."

And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.

And they rejoiced and cried out again with one voice: "May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, as long as they call on the name of their God for protection."

And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

Then they all broke out as one in singing and praising their God for the great thing he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

They cried out, "Hosanna to the Most High God!" And they cried, "Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God!"

And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.

And their hearts were swelling with joy, until many tears gushed out, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies. And they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.