AlmaChapter57

And now it came to pass that I received an epistle from Ammoron, the king, stating that if I would deliver up those prisoners of war whom we had taken that he would deliver up the city of Antiparah unto us.

I received a letter from Ammoron the king. He said that if I would hand over the prisoners of war we had taken, he would hand over the city of Antiparah to us.

But I sent an epistle unto the king, that we were sure our forces were sufficient to take the city of Antiparah by our force; and by delivering up the prisoners for that city we should suppose ourselves unwise, and that we would only deliver up our prisoners on exchange.

But I sent a letter back to the king. I told him we were sure our own forces were strong enough to take the city of Antiparah, and that trading away prisoners for that city would be a foolish bargain. We would give up our prisoners only in an exchange.

And Ammoron refused mine epistle, for he would not exchange prisoners; therefore we began to make preparations to go against the city of Antiparah.

Ammoron rejected my letter, because he would not exchange prisoners. So we began making preparations to march against the city of Antiparah.

But the people of Antiparah did leave the city, and fled to their other cities, which they had possession of, to fortify them; and thus the city of Antiparah fell into our hands.

But the people of Antiparah left the city and fled to the other cities they held, to fortify them. And so the city of Antiparah fell into our hands.

And thus ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the judges.

And so ended the twenty-eighth year of the reign of the judges.

And it came to pass that in the commencement of the twenty and ninth year, we received a supply of provisions, and also an addition to our army, from the land of Zarahemla, and from the land round about, to the number of six thousand men, besides sixty of the sons of the Ammonites who had come to join their brethren, my little band of two thousand. And now behold, we were strong, yea, and we had also plenty of provisions brought unto us.

At the beginning of the twenty-ninth year, we received a supply of provisions, and also reinforcements for our army from the land of Zarahemla and from the land around it, six thousand men in all. With them came sixty of the sons of the Ammonites, who had come to join their brothers, my little band of two thousand. Now we were strong, and we had plenty of provisions brought to us as well.

And it came to pass that it was our desire to wage a battle with the army which was placed to protect the city Cumeni.

What we wanted next was to bring the army stationed to protect the city of Cumeni to battle.

And now behold, I will show unto you that we soon accomplished our desire; yea, with our strong force, or with a part of our strong force, we did surround, by night, the city Cumeni, a little before they were to receive a supply of provisions.

And let me tell you, we soon got what we wanted. With our strong force, or rather with part of our strong force, we surrounded the city of Cumeni by night, a little before they were to receive a supply of provisions.

And it came to pass that we did camp round about the city for many nights; but we did sleep upon our swords, and keep guards, that the Lamanites could not come upon us by night and slay us, which they attempted many times; but as many times as they attempted this their blood was spilt.

We camped around the city for many nights. But we slept on our swords, and we kept guards posted, so the Lamanites could not come on us in the night and kill us. They tried it many times, and every time they tried it their blood was spilled.

At length their provisions did arrive, and they were about to enter the city by night. And we, instead of being Lamanites, were Nephites; therefore, we did take them and their provisions.

Finally their provisions arrived, and they were about to enter the city by night. And we, instead of being Lamanites, were Nephites. So we took them and their provisions.

And notwithstanding the Lamanites being cut off from their support after this manner, they were still determined to maintain the city; therefore it became expedient that we should take those provisions and send them to Judea, and our prisoners to the land of Zarahemla.

Even though the Lamanites were cut off from their supply this way, they were still determined to hold the city. So we had to take those provisions and send them to Judea, and send our prisoners down to the land of Zarahemla.

And it came to pass that not many days had passed away before the Lamanites began to lose all hopes of succor; therefore they yielded up the city unto our hands; and thus we had accomplished our designs in obtaining the city Cumeni.

Not many days passed before the Lamanites began to lose all hope of help, and they surrendered the city into our hands. And so we accomplished what we had set out to do in taking the city of Cumeni.

But it came to pass that our prisoners were so numerous that, notwithstanding the enormity of our numbers, we were obliged to employ all our force to keep them, or to put them to death.

But our prisoners were so many that, large as our own numbers were, we had to use our entire force to guard them, or else put them to death.

For behold, they would break out in great numbers, and would fight with stones, and with clubs, or whatsoever thing they could get into their hands, insomuch that we did slay upwards of two thousand of them after they had surrendered themselves prisoners of war.

They kept breaking out in large numbers, fighting with stones and clubs and whatever else they could get their hands on, so that we killed more than two thousand of them after they had surrendered as prisoners of war.

Therefore it became expedient for us, that we should put an end to their lives, or guard them, sword in hand, down to the land of Zarahemla; and also our provisions were not any more than sufficient for our own people, notwithstanding that which we had taken from the Lamanites.

So it came down to this: either end their lives, or guard them, sword in hand, all the way down to the land of Zarahemla. And our provisions were no more than enough for our own people, even counting what we had taken from the Lamanites.

And now, in those critical circumstances, it became a very serious matter to determine concerning these prisoners of war; nevertheless, we did resolve to send them down to the land of Zarahemla; therefore we selected a part of our men, and gave them charge over our prisoners to go down to the land of Zarahemla.

Now, in those critical circumstances, deciding what to do about these prisoners of war became a very serious matter. Still, we resolved to send them down to the land of Zarahemla. So we picked out part of our men and gave them charge of the prisoners for the journey down.

But it came to pass that on the morrow they did return. And now behold, we did not inquire of them concerning the prisoners; for behold, the Lamanites were upon us, and they returned in season to save us from falling into their hands. For behold, Ammoron had sent to their support a new supply of provisions and also a numerous army of men.

But the next day they came back. And we did not ask them about the prisoners, because the Lamanites were on us, and our men had returned just in time to save us from falling into their hands. Ammoron had sent the Lamanites a new supply of provisions, and a large army of men as well.

And it came to pass that those men whom we sent with the prisoners did arrive in season to check them, as they were about to overpower us.

The men we had sent away with the prisoners arrived in time to check the Lamanites, just as they were about to overpower us.

But behold, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea, they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them.

But my little band of two thousand and sixty fought desperately. They stood firm against the Lamanites and dealt death to everyone who came against them.

And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted.

And when the rest of our army was about to give way before the Lamanites, those two thousand and sixty stood firm and undaunted.

Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

They obeyed and performed every word of command with exactness. And it was done to them according to their faith; and I remembered the words they had told me their mothers taught them.

And now behold, it was these my sons, and those men who had been selected to convey the prisoners, to whom we owe this great victory; for it was they who did beat the Lamanites; therefore they were driven back to the city of Manti.

And it was these sons of mine, along with the men who had been chosen to take the prisoners away, to whom we owe this great victory. They were the ones who beat the Lamanites, and so the Lamanites were driven back to the city of Manti.

And we retained our city Cumeni, and were not all destroyed by the sword; nevertheless, we had suffered great loss.

We kept our city of Cumeni, and we were not all destroyed by the sword. Even so, we had suffered heavy losses.

And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had fled, I immediately gave orders that my men who had been wounded should be taken from among the dead, and caused that their wounds should be dressed.

After the Lamanites had fled, I immediately gave orders that my men who had been wounded should be carried out from among the dead, and I had their wounds dressed.

And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.

Two hundred out of my two thousand and sixty had fainted from loss of blood. Yet by the goodness of God, and to our amazement and to the joy of our whole army, not one of them died. And there was not one among them who had not taken many wounds.

And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.

Their survival astonished our whole army: that they should be spared while a thousand of our brothers were killed. And we rightly credit it to the miraculous power of God, because of their great faith in what they had been taught to believe, that there is a just God, and that anyone who did not doubt would be preserved by his marvelous power.

Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

This was the faith of the men I have been telling you about. They are young, and their minds are firm, and they put their trust in God continually.

And now it came to pass that after we had thus taken care of our wounded men, and had buried our dead and also the dead of the Lamanites, who were many, behold, we did inquire of Gid concerning the prisoners whom they had started to go down to the land of Zarahemla with.

After we had taken care of our wounded men, and had buried our dead and also the dead of the Lamanites, who were many, we asked Gid about the prisoners the men had started down to the land of Zarahemla with.

Now Gid was the chief captain over the band who was appointed to guard them down to the land.

Now Gid was the chief captain over the company appointed to guard them down to the land.

And now, these are the words which Gid said unto me: Behold, we did start to go down to the land of Zarahemla with our prisoners. And it came to pass that we did meet the spies of our armies, who had been sent out to watch the camp of the Lamanites.

These are the words Gid said to me: "We started down to the land of Zarahemla with our prisoners. On the way we met the spies of our own armies, who had been sent out to watch the camp of the Lamanites.

And they cried unto us, saying—Behold, the armies of the Lamanites are marching towards the city of Cumeni; and behold, they will fall upon them, yea, and will destroy our people.

They called out to us, 'The armies of the Lamanites are marching toward the city of Cumeni! They are going to fall on them and destroy our people!'

And it came to pass that our prisoners did hear their cries, which caused them to take courage; and they did rise up in rebellion against us.

"Our prisoners heard their cries, and it gave them courage, and they rose up in rebellion against us.

And it came to pass because of their rebellion we did cause that our swords should come upon them. And it came to pass that they did in a body run upon our swords, in the which, the greater number of them were slain; and the remainder of them broke through and fled from us.

Because of their rebellion we brought our swords down on them. They ran in a body onto our swords, and most of them were killed that way. The rest broke through and got away from us.

And behold, when they had fled and we could not overtake them, we took our march with speed towards the city Cumeni; and behold, we did arrive in time that we might assist our brethren in preserving the city.

"When they had fled and we could not catch them, we marched with all speed toward the city of Cumeni. And we arrived in time to help our brothers save the city.

And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us.

And now we have been delivered again out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God, because it is he who has delivered us. He is the one who has done this great thing for us."

Now it came to pass that when I, Helaman, had heard these words of Gid, I was filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God in preserving us, that we might not all perish; yea, and I trust that the souls of them who have been slain have entered into the rest of their God.

Now when I, Helaman, had heard these words of Gid, I was filled with great joy because of the goodness of God in preserving us, so that we were not all destroyed. And I trust that the souls of those who have been killed have entered into the rest of their God.