THE BOOK OF OMNI.
CHAPTER I.
BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Omni, being commanded by my father, Jarom, that I should write somewhat upon these plates, to
preserve our genealogy;--
2 wWherefore, in my days, I would
that ye should know that I fought much with the sword, to
preserve my people, the Nephites, from falling into the hands of their enemies,
the Lamanites. But behold, I, of myself,
am a wicked man;, and I have not
kept the statutes and the commandments of the Lord, as I ought
to have done.
3 And it came to pass that two hundred and seventy and six years had passed
away, and we had many seasons of peace; and we had many seasons of serious war
and bloodshed.--Yea, and in fine, two hundred and eighty and
two years had passed away, and I had kept these plates according to the
commandments of my fathers; and I conferred them upon my son Amaron. And I
make an end.
4 And now I, Amaron, write these the things whatsoever I write, which are few, in the book
of my father.
5 Behold, it came to pass that three hundred and twenty years had passed
away, and the morewicked part of the Nephites were
destroyed:.
6 fFor the Lord would not suffer,
after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, and kept
and preserved them from falling into the hands of their
enemies;, yea, he would not suffer
that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers,
saying, Tthat: iInasmuch as ye will not keep my
commandments, ye shall not prosper in the land.
7 Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless, he did
spare the righteous, that they should not perish, but did
deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.
8 And it came to pass that I did deliver the plates unto my brother Chemish.
9 Now I, Chemish, write what few things I write, in the same book with my
brother:; for behold, I saw the last
which he wrote, that he wrote it with his own hand; and he wrote it in the day
that he delivered them unto me. And after this manner we keep the
records:, for it is according to the
commandments of our fathers. And I make an end.
10 Behold, I, Abinadom, I am the son of Chemish.
Behold, it came to pass that I saw much war and contention between my
people, the Nephites, and the Lamanites; and I, with mine my own sword, have taken the lives of many of the
Lamanites, in the defence of my brethren.
11 And behold, the record of this people is engraven upon plates which is had
by the kings, according to the generations; and I know of no
revelation, save that which has been written, neither prophecy;
wherefore, that which is sufficient,
is written. And I make an end.
12 Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I will speak unto
you somewhat concerning Mosiah, which who was made king over the land of
Zarahemla:; for behold, he being
warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as
would hearken unto the voice of the Lord, should also depart
out of the land with him, into the wilderness.--
13 And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him.
And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would
hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and
prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and
they were led by the power of his arm, through the wilderness,
until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.
14 And they discovered a people, which was who were called the people of Zarahemla. Now, there
was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also,
Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because that the Lord had
sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of
the Jews.
15 Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of
Zarahemla, came out from Jerusalem, at the
time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon.
16 And they journieyed in the
wilderness, and was were brought by
the hand of the Lord, across the great waters, into the land
where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.
17 And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become
exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had
had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to
time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records
with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the
people of Mosiah, could not understand them.
18 But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should be taught in his
language. And it came to pass that after they were taught in the language
of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his
memory:; and they are written, but
not in these plates.
19 And it came to pass that the people of Zarahemla, and of Mosiah, did unite together; and Mosiah was appointed to be their king.
20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large stone brought
unto him, with engravings on it; and he did interpret the
engravings, by the gift and power of God.
21 And they gave an account of one Coriantumr, and the slain of his people.
And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he dwelt
with them for the space of nine Mmoons.
22 It also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And his first
parents came out from the Ttower, at
the time the Lord confounded the language of the people; and the severity of the
Lord fell upon them, according to his judgments, which
is are just; and their bones lay
scattered in the land northward.
23 Behold, I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah; and I have lived to see his death; and Benjamin, his son, reigneth in his stead.
24 And behold, I have seen, in the days of king
Benjamin, a serious war, and much bloodshed,
between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But behold, the Nephites did
obtain much advantage over them; yea, insomuch that king Benjamin did drive them
out of the land of Zarahemla.
25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and
knowing king Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall
deliver up these plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy
One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the
ministering of Aangels, and in the
gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which is are good:; for
there is nothing which is good, save it comes from the Lord;
and that which is evil, cometh from the Ddevil.
26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ,
which who is the Holy One of Israel,
and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come
unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in
fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord
liveth, ye will be saved.
27 And now, I would speak somewhat concerning a certain
number which who went up into the
wilderness, to return to the land of
Nephi:; for there was a large number
which who were desirous to possess
the land of their inheritance;.
28 wWherefore, they went up into
the wilderness. And their leader being a strong and a
mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore, he caused a
contention among them; and they were all slain, save fifty, in the wilderness,
and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla.
29 And it came to pass that they also took others, to a
considerable number, and took their journey again into the wilderness.
30 And, I, Amaleki, had a brother, which
who also went with them; and I have not since known
concerning them. And I am about to lay lie down in my grave; and these plates are full. And
I make an end of my speaking.