HelamanChapter7

Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

In the sixty-ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.

For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;

He had been out among the people in the land northward, preaching the word of God to them and prophesying many things to them.

And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.

But they rejected everything he said, so that he could not stay among them, and he returned to the land where he was born.

And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;

He saw the people in a state of terrible wickedness, and the Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats. They had seized the power and the authority of the land. They had set aside the commandments of God, and they were not in the least upright before him, and they did no justice for the people.

Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—

They condemned the righteous for their righteousness, and let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money. And more than that, they held office at the head of the government so that they could rule and do whatever they wanted, to get gain and the glory of the world, and so that they could more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do whatever they pleased.

Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:

All this terrible wickedness had come upon the Nephites in the space of just a few years. When Nephi saw it, his heart swelled with sorrow inside him, and he cried out in the agony of his soul:

Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—

Oh, that I could have lived my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem! Then I could have rejoiced with him in the promised land. In those days his people were easy to persuade, firm in keeping the commandments of God, and slow to be led into sin, and they were quick to listen to the words of the Lord.

Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.

If only my days could have been in those days! Then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brothers.

But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.

But these are the days I have been given, and my soul will be filled with sorrow because of the wickedness of my brothers.

And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.

Now all of this happened on a tower in Nephi's garden, beside the highway that led to the main market in the city of Zarahemla. Nephi had bowed himself down on the tower in his garden, and that tower stood near the garden gate that opened onto the highway.

And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.

Some men were passing by and saw Nephi on the tower, pouring out his soul to God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in crowds to find out what could be the cause of such great mourning over the wickedness of the people.

And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.

And when Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds of people who had gathered.

And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?

He spoke to them and said: Why have you gathered yourselves together? So that I can tell you about your sins?

Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!

Is it because I climbed up on my tower to pour out my soul to my God, out of the deep sorrow in my heart, a sorrow that comes from your sins?

And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.

You gathered because of my mourning and my grief, and you are amazed. And you have good reason to be amazed. Yes, you ought to be amazed, because you have given yourselves over, and the devil has gotten such a strong hold on your hearts.

Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo?

How could you have given way to the enticings of the one who is trying to hurl your souls down to everlasting misery and endless suffering?

O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

Oh, repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has he abandoned you?

It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

It is because you have hardened your hearts. You will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd. You have provoked him to anger against you.

And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

And instead of gathering you, unless you repent, he will scatter you, so that you become food for dogs and wild animals.

O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?

Oh, how could you have forgotten your God on the very day that he delivered you?

But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

Here is why: to get gain, to be praised by others, to get gold and silver. You have set your hearts on the riches and the empty things of this world, and for them you murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and commit every kind of sin.

And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.

And for this reason, woe to you unless you repent. If you will not repent, this large city, and all the large cities around it in the land we possess, will be taken away, so that you will have no place in them. For the Lord will not grant you strength, as he has until now, to stand against your enemies.

For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.

Thus says the Lord: "I will not show my strength to the wicked, to one any more than to another, except to those who repent of their sins and listen to my words." So now I want you to see, my brothers, that it will be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent.

For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.

They are more righteous than you, because they have not sinned against the great knowledge you have received. So the Lord will be merciful to them. He will lengthen their days and increase their posterity, even while you are utterly destroyed, unless you repent.

Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton!

Woe to you because of that great abomination that has come among you, and because you have joined yourselves to it, to that secret band established by Gadianton!

Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!

Woe to you because of the pride you have let into your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond what is good, because of your enormous riches!

Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!

Woe to you because of your wickedness and your abominations!

And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

And unless you repent you will die. Even your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from the face of the earth.

Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.

Now, I do not say these things will happen on my own authority, because it is not on my own that I know them. But I know these things are true, because the Lord God has made them known to me. That is why I testify that they will happen.