HelamanChapter16

And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord.

Many people heard the words Samuel the Lamanite spoke from the wall of the city. Everyone who believed what he said went looking for Nephi, and when they found him they confessed their sins to him and held nothing back, asking to be baptized to the Lord.

But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.

The ones who did not believe Samuel's words were angry with him. They threw stones at him up on the wall, and many shot arrows at him as he stood there. But the Spirit of the Lord was with him, so that they could not hit him with their stones or with their arrows.

Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized.

Now when they saw that they could not hit him, many more believed what he said, and they went off to Nephi to be baptized.

For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come—

Nephi, you see, was baptizing and prophesying and preaching, calling the people to repent, showing signs and wonders and working miracles among them, so that they would know that the Christ must soon come.

Telling them of things which must shortly come, that they might know and remember at the time of their coming that they had been made known unto them beforehand, to the intent that they might believe; therefore as many as believed on the words of Samuel went forth unto him to be baptized, for they came repenting and confessing their sins.

He told them about things that must soon happen, so that when those things came, they would know and remember that they had been told beforehand, and would believe. So everyone who believed the words of Samuel came to him to be baptized, and they came repenting and confessing their sins.

But the more part of them did not believe in the words of Samuel; therefore when they saw that they could not hit him with their stones and their arrows, they cried unto their captains, saying: Take this fellow and bind him, for behold he hath a devil; and because of the power of the devil which is in him we cannot hit him with our stones and our arrows; therefore take him and bind him, and away with him.

But most of them did not believe Samuel's words. So when they saw that they could not hit him with their stones and their arrows, they shouted to their captains, "Grab this man and tie him up! He has a devil in him, and it's the power of the devil in him that keeps us from hitting him with our stones and our arrows. Take him and tie him up, and get him out of here!"

And as they went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands, yea, even unto his own country, and began to preach and to prophesy among his own people.

But as they moved in to lay hands on him, he threw himself down from the wall and escaped out of their lands, all the way back to his own country, and there he began to preach and prophesy among his own people.

And behold, he was never heard of more among the Nephites; and thus were the affairs of the people.

And he was never heard of again among the Nephites. That is how things stood with the people.

And thus ended the eighty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

And so ended the eighty-sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

And thus ended also the eighty and seventh year of the reign of the judges, the more part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God.

And so ended the eighty-seventh year too, with most of the people still in their pride and wickedness, and the smaller part walking more carefully before God.

And these were the conditions also, in the eighty and eighth year of the reign of the judges.

Things stood the same way in the eighty-eighth year of the reign of the judges.

And there was but little alteration in the affairs of the people, save it were the people began to be more hardened in iniquity, and do more and more of that which was contrary to the commandments of God, in the eighty and ninth year of the reign of the judges.

There was little change in the affairs of the people, except that they began to grow harder in their wickedness, doing more and more of what was against the commandments of God, in the eighty-ninth year of the reign of the judges.

But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, there were great signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled.

But in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, remarkable signs and wonders were given to the people, and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled.

And angels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy; thus in this year the scriptures began to be fulfilled.

Angels appeared to people, to wise men, and announced to them good news of great joy. So in that year the scriptures began to be fulfilled.

Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all save it were the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their own strength and upon their own wisdom, saying:

Even so, the people began to harden their hearts, all except the most believing among them, both the Nephites and the Lamanites. They began to rely on their own strength and their own wisdom, and they said,

Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken.

"Out of so many predictions, they may have guessed a few things right. But we know that all these great and marvelous works they talk about cannot happen."

And they began to reason and to contend among themselves, saying:

And they began to reason and argue among themselves, saying,

That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem?

"It is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ should come. And if he does come, and he is the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the way they say, why won't he show himself to us as well as to those who will be at Jerusalem?

Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?

Why won't he show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?

But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true.

No, we know this is a wicked tradition, handed down to us by our fathers to make us believe in some great and marvelous thing that is going to happen, but not among us. It happens in a land far away, a land we know nothing about. That way they can keep us ignorant, because we cannot see with our own eyes that any of it is true.

And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives.

And with the cunning and mysterious arts of the evil one, they will work up some great mystery that we cannot understand, and it will keep us down as servants to their words, and servants to them as well, since we depend on them to teach us the word. That is how they'll keep us ignorant all the days of our lives, if we hand ourselves over to them."

And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.

And the people dreamed up many more things in their hearts, foolish and empty things. They were deeply troubled, because Satan was stirring them up to sin constantly. He went about spreading rumors and quarrels across the whole land, to harden the hearts of the people against what was good and against what was coming.

And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land.

And in spite of the signs and the wonders done among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles they performed, Satan got a strong hold on the hearts of the people across the whole land.

And thus ended the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

And so ended the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

And thus ended the book of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman and his sons.

And so ended the book of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman and his sons.