MosiahChapter20

Now there was a place in Shemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry.

There was a place in Shemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites would gather to sing, and to dance, and to entertain themselves.

And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.

One day a small number of them were gathered there to sing and to dance.

And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children.

Now the priests of king Noah were ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, and they were also afraid that the people would kill them, so they didn't dare go back to their wives and their children.

And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;

While they stayed in the wilderness, they discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, and they hid and watched them.

And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.

And when only a few of them were gathered to dance, the priests came out of their hiding places and took them and carried them into the wilderness. They carried off twenty-four of the daughters of the Lamanites into the wilderness.

And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi.

When the Lamanites found that their daughters were missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, because they thought it was the people of Limhi who had done it.

Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.

So they sent out their armies; the king himself went at the head of his people. And they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.

And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests.

Now Limhi had spotted them from the tower. He had seen all their preparations for war, so he gathered his people together and set an ambush for them in the fields and in the forests.

And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them.

And when the Lamanites came up, the people of Limhi began to attack them from their ambush and to kill them.

And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey.

The battle became very fierce, because they fought like lions for their prey.

And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight.

And the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites back, even though they were not half as numerous as the Lamanites. But they were fighting for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children, so they exerted themselves, and they fought like dragons.

And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.

Then they found the king of the Lamanites among their dead. Yet he was not dead: he had been wounded and left on the ground, because his people had fled so quickly.

And they took him and bound up his wounds, and brought him before Limhi, and said: Behold, here is the king of the Lamanites; he having received a wound has fallen among their dead, and they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now let us slay him.

They picked him up, bandaged his wounds, and brought him before Limhi. And they said, "Here is the king of the Lamanites! He was wounded and fell among their dead, and they left him behind. We have brought him to you. Now let us kill him."

But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?

But Limhi said to them, "You will not kill him. Bring him here so I can see him." And they brought him. And Limhi said to him, "What reason did you have to come up to war against my people? My people have not broken the oath I made to you. So why would you break the oath you made to my people?"

And now the king said: I have broken the oath because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people; therefore, in my anger I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people.

And the king said, "I have broken the oath because your people carried away the daughters of my people. That is why, in my anger, I sent my people up to war against your people."

And now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this matter; therefore he said: I will search among my people and whosoever has done this thing shall perish. Therefore he caused a search to be made among his people.

Now Limhi had heard nothing about this matter, so he said, "I will search among my people, and whoever has done this will die." And he had a search made among his people.

Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the king’s captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge.

When Gideon, the king's captain, heard all this, he went to the king and said, "I beg you, hold back. Don't search this people, and don't blame them for this.

For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, whom this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness? And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?

Don't you remember the priests of your father, the ones this people tried to destroy? Aren't they in the wilderness? And aren't they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?

And now, behold, and tell the king of these things, that he may tell his people that they may be pacified towards us; for behold they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also there are but few of us.

"So now, tell the king about these things, so that he can tell his people and their anger toward us can be calmed. You see, they are already preparing to come against us, and there are only a few of us.

And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and except the king doth pacify them towards us we must perish.

They are coming with their vast armies, and unless the king calms their anger toward us, we will die.

For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he prophesied against us—and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?

Haven't the words that Abinadi prophesied against us been fulfilled? All of this has happened because we would not listen to the words of the Lord and turn from our sins.

And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood.

"So now let us calm the king's anger and keep the oath we made to him, because it is better for us to be slaves than to lose our lives. Let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood."

And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them.

Then Limhi told the king all about his father and about the priests who had fled into the wilderness, and he laid the blame for carrying off their daughters on them.

And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people.

And the king's anger toward the people was calmed. He said to them, "Let us go out without weapons to meet my people. And I swear to you with an oath that my people will not kill your people."

And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi.

So they followed the king, and they went out without weapons to meet the Lamanites. And when they met the Lamanites, the king of the Lamanites bowed down before them and pleaded on behalf of the people of Limhi.

And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land.

And when the Lamanites saw that the people of Limhi had no weapons, they had compassion on them, and their anger was calmed, and they returned with their king in peace to their own land.