10:1 Now these are the words which Amulek preached
unto the people who were in the land of Ammonihah,
saying: |
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10:2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was
the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and
it was that same Aminadi who interpreted the writing
which was upon the wall of the temple, which was written
by the finger of God. |
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10:3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was
the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem,
who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of
Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his
brethren. |
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10:4 And behold, I am also a man of no small
reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold,
I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also
acquired much riches by the hand of my industry. |
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10:5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have
known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and
marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these
things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of
his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the
preservation of the lives of this people. |
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10:6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was
called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew
concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore
I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my
heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month,
which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges. |
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10:7 As I was journeying to see a very near kindred,
behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto me and said:
Amulek, return to thine own house, for thou shalt feed a
prophet of the Lord; yea, a holy man, who is a chosen man
of God; for he has fasted many days because of the sins
of this people, and he is an hungered, and thou shalt
receive him into thy house and feed him, and he shall
bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord
shall rest upon thee and thy house. |
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10:8 And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of
the angel, and returned towards my house. And as I was
going thither I found the man whom the angel said unto
me: Thou shalt receive into thy house--and behold it was
this same man who has been speaking unto you concerning
the things of God. |
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10:9 And the angel said unto me he is a holy man;
wherefore I know he is a holy man because it was said by
an angel of God. |
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10:10 And again, I know that the things whereof he
hath testified are true; for behold I say unto you, that
as the Lord liveth, even so has he sent his angel to make
these things manifest unto me; and this he has done while
this Alma hath dwelt at my house. |
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10:11 For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath
blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father
and my kinsfolk; yea, even all my kindred hath he
blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us
according to the words which he spake. |
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10:12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the
people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than
one witness who testified of the things whereof they were
accused, and also of the things which were to come,
according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them. |
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10:13 Nevertheless, there were some among them who
thought to question them, that by their cunning devices
they might catch them in their words, that they might
find witness against them, that they might deliver them
to their judges that they might be judged according to
the law, and that they might be slain or cast into
prison, according to the crime which they could make
appear or witness against them. |
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10:14 Now it was those men who sought to destroy
them, who were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by
the people to administer the law at their times of
trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people
before the judges. |
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10:15 Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts
and cunning of the people; and this was to enable them
that they might be skilful in their profession. |
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10:16 And it came to pass that they began to question
Amulek, that thereby they might make him cross his words,
or contradict the words which he should speak. |
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10:17 Now they knew not that Amulek could know of
their designs. But it came to pass as they began to
question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he said
unto them: 1O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers
and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch
the holy ones of God. |
[1] Matthew 17:17: ...O faithless and perverse
generation... |
10:18 Ye are laying plans to 1pervert the ways of the righteous, and to bring
down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter
destruction of this people. |
[1] Acts 13:10 ...thou enemy
of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the
right ways of the Lord? |
10:19 Yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last
king, when he was about to deliver up the kingdom, having
no one to confer it upon, causing that this people should
be governed by their own voices--yea, well did he say
that if the time should come that the voice of this
people should choose iniquity, that is, if the time
should come that this people should fall into
transgression, they would be ripe for destruction. |
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10:20 And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord
judge of your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this
people, by the voice of his angels: Repent ye, 1repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. |
[1] Matthew 4:17: ...Repent: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. |
10:21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his
angels that: I will come down among my people, with
equity and justice in my hands. |
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10:22 Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for
the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land,
that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction;
yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the
days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by
pestilence, and the sword. |
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10:23 But it is by the prayers of the righteous that
ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the
righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his
hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against
you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by
pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is
soon at hand except ye repent. |
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10:24 And now it came to pass that the people were
more angry with Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This
man doth revile against our laws which are just, and our
wise lawyers whom we have selected. |
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10:25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried
the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse
generation, why hath Satan got such great
hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto
him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes,
that ye will not understand the words which are spoken,
according to their truth? |
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10:26 For behold, have I testified against your law?
Ye do not understand; ye say that I have spoken against
your law; but I have not, but I have spoken in favor of
your law, to your condemnation. |
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10:27 And now behold, I say unto you, that the
foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning
to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and
your judges. |
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10:28 And now it came to pass that when Amulek had
spoken these words the people cried out against him,
saying: Now we know that this man is a child of the devil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken
against our law. And now he says that he has not spoken
against it. |
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10:29 And again, he has reviled against our lawyers,
and our judges. |
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10:30 And it came to pass that the lawyers put it
into their hearts that they should remember these things
against him. |
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10:31 And there was one among them whose name was
Zeezrom. Now he was the foremost to accuse Amulek and
Alma, he being one of the most expert among them, having
much business to do among the people. |
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10:32 Now the object of these lawyers was to get
gain; and they got gain according to their employ. |
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