Mosiah 7

And now, it came to pass that after king Mosiah had had continual peace for the space of three years, he was desirous to know concerning the people who went up to dwell in the land of Lehi-Nephi, or in the city of Lehi-Nephi; for his people had heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla; therefore, they wearied him with their teasings.

After king Mosiah had enjoyed three years of unbroken peace, he wanted to know about the people who had gone up to live in the land of Lehi-Nephi, or in the city of Lehi-Nephi. His people had heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla, and they wore the king out with their constant urging.

And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted that sixteen of their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi to inquire concerning their brethren.

So king Mosiah agreed to let sixteen of their strong men go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi to find out about their brothers.

And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to go up, having with them one Ammon, he being a strong and mighty man, and a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.

The next day they set out to go up, taking with them a man named Ammon, a strong and powerful man and a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.

And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.

Now, they didn't know which way to go through the wilderness to reach the land of Lehi-Nephi, so they wandered for many days. Forty days they wandered.

And when they had wandered forty days they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.

When they had wandered forty days, they came to a hill north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.

And Ammon took three of his brethren, and their names were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of Nephi.

Then Ammon took three of his brothers, whose names were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of Nephi.

And behold, they met the king of the people who were in the land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom; and they were surrounded by the king’s guard, and were taken, and were bound, and were committed to prison.

There they met the king of the people who were in the land of Nephi and in the land of Shilom. They were surrounded by the king's guard, arrested, bound, and put in prison.

And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they were again brought before the king, and their bands were loosed; and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather commanded, that they should answer the questions which he should ask them.

After they had been in prison two days, they were brought before the king again. Their bonds were untied, and they stood before the king and were permitted, or rather commanded, to answer the questions he would ask them.

And he said unto them: Behold, I am Limhi, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their fathers, who was made a king by the voice of the people.

And he said to them, "I am Limhi, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla to inherit this land, the land of their fathers; and he was made a king by the voice of the people.

And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the gate?

Now, I want to know why you were so bold as to come near the walls of the city while I myself was with my guards outside the gate.

And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak.

This is the reason I have let you be kept alive: so that I might question you. Otherwise I would have had my guards put you to death. You may speak."

And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness;

When Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forward and bowed himself before the king; then, rising again, he said, "O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am still alive and am permitted to speak; and I will do my best to speak boldly,

For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land.

because I am sure that if you had known me, you would not have let me wear these bonds. I am Ammon, a descendant of Zarahemla, and I have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to find out about our brothers, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land."

And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard the words of Ammon, he was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my people shall rejoice also.

When Limhi heard Ammon's words, he was overjoyed, and he said, "Now I know for certain that my brothers who were in the land of Zarahemla are still alive. And I will rejoice; and tomorrow I will have my people rejoice as well.

For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are taxed with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold, our brethren will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites.

You see, we are in slavery to the Lamanites, taxed with a tax that is hard to bear. But now our brothers will deliver us out of our slavery, out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves, because it is better to be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites."

And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they should no more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

Then king Limhi commanded his guards that Ammon and his brothers were not to be bound any longer. And he had them go to the hill north of Shilom and bring their brothers into the city, so that they could eat and drink and rest from the labors of their journey. They had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple to hear the words which he should speak unto them.

The next day king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, so that they would gather at the temple to hear the words he would speak to them.

And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

When they had gathered, he spoke to them in this way: "O my people, lift up your heads and be comforted. The time is at hand, or at least not far off, when we will no longer be in subjection to our enemies. We have struggled many times, and in vain; yet I trust there remains an effectual struggle to be made.

Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

So lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. He caused them to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground and fed them with manna so that they would not die in the wilderness; and he did many more things for them.

And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage.

"And again, that same God brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and he has kept and preserved his people even until now. And it is because of our own sins and abominations that he has brought us into captivity.

And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about—

"You are all witnesses today of this: Zeniff, who was made king over this people, was overzealous to inherit the land of his fathers, and so he was deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman. King Laman made a treaty with king Zeniff and gave up into his hands part of the land: the city of Lehi-Nephi, the city of Shilom, and the land around them.

And all this he did, for the sole purpose of bringing this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

"And he did all this for one purpose only: to bring this people into subjection, into slavery. And now we pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites: half of our corn and our barley, and of all our grain of every kind, and half of the increase of our flocks and our herds. Even half of everything we have or own, the king of the Lamanites demands of us, or else our lives.

And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn.

"Now, is this not hard to bear? Is our affliction not great? See what reason we have to mourn!

Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

Yes, I tell you, we have great reason to mourn: so many of our brothers have been killed, and their blood has been spilled in vain, and all because of sin.

For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves.

"If this people had not fallen into transgression, the Lord would not have allowed this great evil to come upon them. But they refused to listen to his words, and contentions arose among them, until they were shedding blood among themselves.

And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ.

And they have killed a prophet of the Lord: a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and who prophesied of many things to come, even the coming of Christ.

And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

"He said that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and that he would take upon himself the image of man, and that it would be the image after which man was created in the beginning. In other words, he said that man was created in the image of God, and that God would come down among humankind and take upon himself flesh and blood and go forth on the face of the earth.

And now, because he said this, they did put him to death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of God upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?

And because he said this, they put him to death; and they did many more things that brought down the wrath of God upon them. So who can wonder that they are enslaved, and that they are struck with severe afflictions?

For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them.

"The Lord has said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression. Instead, I will hedge up their ways so that they do not prosper; and their own doings will be a stumbling block before them.

And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

And again he has said: If my people sow filthiness, they will reap the chaff of it in the whirlwind; and its effect is poison.

And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

And again he has said: If my people sow filthiness, they will reap the east wind, which brings immediate destruction.

And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.

"And now the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and you are struck down and afflicted.

But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

But if you will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind — if you do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of slavery."