Jacob 2

The words which Jacob, the brother of Nephi, spake unto the people of Nephi, after the death of Nephi:

These are the words that Jacob, the brother of Nephi, spoke to the people of Nephi after the death of Nephi:

Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God.

Now, my beloved brothers, I, Jacob, have come up to the temple today to declare the word of God to you. I do this according to the responsibility I am under to God, to magnify my office with soberness, and so that I might rid my garments of your sins.

And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.

You yourselves know that until now I have been diligent in the office of my calling; but today I am weighed down with far more concern and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have ever been before.

For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of the Lord, which I have given unto you.

For until now, you have been obedient to the word of the Lord that I have given you.

But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God.

But listen to me now, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you what you are thinking. You are beginning to labor in sin, and that sin appears very abominable to me, and abominable to God.

Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts.

It grieves my soul and makes me shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker that I must testify to you about the wickedness of your hearts.

And also it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of speech concerning you, before your wives and your children, many of whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate before God, which thing is pleasing unto God;

And it also grieves me that I must speak so boldly about you in front of your wives and your children, many of whose feelings are very tender and chaste and delicate before God; and that is pleasing to God.

And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.

And I believe they have come up here to hear the pleasing word of God, the word that heals the wounded soul.

Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.

So it weighs down my soul that I am required, because of the strict commandment I have received from God, to warn you about your crimes. It widens the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing them; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting on the pleasing word of God, have daggers set to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.

But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty God.

But in spite of the greatness of the task, I must do what the strict commands of God require. I must tell you about your wickedness and abominations in the presence of the pure in heart and the brokenhearted, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty God.

Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the plainness of the word of God. For behold, as I inquired of the Lord, thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people.

So I must tell you the truth, according to the plainness of the word of God. When I asked the Lord, this word came to me: "Jacob, go up to the temple tomorrow, and declare to this people the word that I will give you."

And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed, doth abound most plentifully.

And now, my brothers, this is the word I declare to you: many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for all kinds of precious ores. And this land, which is a promised land for you and your descendants, is richly abundant in them.

And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

The hand of providence has smiled upon you very kindly, and you have gained many riches. But because some of you have gained more abundantly than your brothers, you are lifted up in the pride of your hearts; you wear stiff necks and high heads because of your expensive clothes, and you persecute your brothers because you think you are better than they are.

And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.

And now, my brothers, do you think that God justifies you in this? I tell you, No. He condemns you, and if you persist in these things, his judgments must come swiftly upon you.

O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and with one glance of his eye he can smite you to the dust!

O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and that with one glance of his eye he can strike you down to the dust!

O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!

O that he would rid you of this wickedness and abomination! And O that you would listen to the word of his commands, and not let this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!

Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

Think of your brothers as you think of yourselves, and be friendly with everyone and generous with what you have, so that they may be rich like you.

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

But before you seek riches, seek the kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

And after you have obtained a hope in Christ, you will obtain riches, if you seek them; and you will seek them with the intent to do good: to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to free the captive, and to bring relief to the sick and the suffering.

And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

And now, my brothers, I have spoken to you about pride. Those of you who have mistreated your neighbor, and persecuted him because you were proud in your hearts over the things God has given you — what do you say about it?

Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever.

Don't you think that such things are abominable to him who created all flesh? One being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and he created them for the same purpose: to keep his commandments and glorify him forever.

And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning this pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you.

And now I will end what I have to say to you about this pride. And if it were not that I must speak to you about a grosser crime, my heart would rejoice greatly because of you.

But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.

But the word of God weighs on me because of your grosser crimes. For thus says the Lord: This people is beginning to grow in wickedness. They do not understand the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms because of what was written about David and his son Solomon.

Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, and that was abominable before me, says the Lord.

Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.

And thus says the Lord: I have led this people out of the land of Jerusalem by the power of my arm, so that I might raise up for myself a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.

Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.

Therefore I, the Lord God, will not allow this people to do as those of old did.

Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;

So, my brothers, hear me, and listen to the word of the Lord: No man among you shall have more than one wife, and he shall have no concubines;

For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.

for I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus says the Lord of Hosts.

Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

Therefore this people shall keep my commandments, says the Lord of Hosts, or the land will be cursed for their sakes.

For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.

For if I want to raise up posterity for myself, says the Lord of Hosts, I will command my people; otherwise they must obey these things.

For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.

For I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.

And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

And I will not allow, says the Lord of Hosts, the cries of the beautiful daughters of this people, whom I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, to come up to me against the men of my people, says the Lord of Hosts.

For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.

The men of my people shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness; if they do, I will strike them with a severe curse, even to destruction. For they shall not commit whoredoms, as those of old did, says the Lord of Hosts.

And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi; wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have done.

And now, my brothers, you know that these commandments were given to our father Lehi, so you have known them before. And you have come under great condemnation, for you have done things you should not have done.

Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.

You have done greater wickedness than the Lamanites, our brothers. You have broken the hearts of your tender wives and lost the confidence of your children because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbing of their hearts rises up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which comes down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.