THE SECOND BOOK OF NEFI Chapter 3

  1. And now I, Nefi, speak concerning the prophecies of which my father has spoken concerning Yosef, who was carried into Egypt. For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater. And he prophesied concerning us and our future generations, and they are written upon the plates of brass.
  2. Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Yosef, he called the children of Laman, his sons and his daughters, and said unto them, Behold, my sons and my daughters who are the sons and the daughters of my first born, I would that you should give ear unto my words. For Adonai yhwh has said that inasmuch as you shall keep my mitzvot, you shall prosper in the land,51 and inasmuch as you will not keep my mitzvot, you shall be cut off from my presence.52 But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave except I should leave a blessing upon you. For behold, I know that if you are brought up in the way you should go, you will not depart from it.53 Wherefore, if you are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents. Wherefore, because of my blessing, Adonai yhwh will not allow that you shall perish. Wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed for ever.
  3. And it came to pass that after my father had made an end of speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he caused the sons and daughters of L’mu’el to be brought before him. And he spoke unto them, saying, Behold, my sons and my daughters who are the sons and the daughters of my second son, behold, I leave unto you the same blessing which I left unto the sons and daughters of Laman. Wherefore, you shall not utterly be destroyed, but in the end, your seed shall be blessed.
  4. And it came to pass that when my father had made an end of speaking unto them, behold, he spoke unto the sons of Yishma’el, yes, and even all his household. And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spoke unto Sam, saying, Blessed are you and your seed, for you shall inherit the land like unto your brother Nefi. And your seed shall be numbered with his seed; and you shall be even like unto your brother, and your seed like unto his seed; and you shall be blessed in all your days.
  5. And it came to pass that after my father Lechi had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the spirit of yhwh which was in him, he grew old. And it came to pass that he died and was buried.
  6. And it came to pass that not many days after his death, Laman and L’mu’el and the sons of Yishma’el were angry with me because of the admonitions of yhwh; for I, Nefi, was constrained to speak unto them according to his word. For I had spoke many things unto them, and also my father before his death, many of which sayings are written upon my other plates, for a more historical part is written upon my other plates. And upon these I write the things of my soul and many of the scriptures which are engraved upon the plates of brass.

    The Psalm of Nefi

    For my soul delights in the scriptures,
    and my heart ponders them and writes them

    for the learning and the profit of my children.
    Behold, my soul delights in the things of yhwh,
    and my heart ponders continually upon the things

    which I have seen and heard.

  7. Nevertheless, despite the great goodness of yhwh

    in showing me his great and marvelous works,

    My heart exclaims, O wretched man that I am!
    Yes, my heart sorrows because of my flesh,
    my soul grieves because of my iniquities.

    I am encompassed about because of the temptations

    and the sins which do so easily entangle me,

    and when I desire to rejoice, my heart groans because of my sins.
    Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.54

    My Elohim has been my support.

    He has led me through my afflictions in the wilderness
    and he has preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
    He has filled me with his love,

    even unto the consuming of my flesh.
    He has confounded my enemies,

    unto the causing of them to quake before me.

    Behold, he has heard my cry by day,
    and he has given me knowledge by visions in the night time.

    And by day have I grown bold in mighty prayer before him;
    yes, my voice have I sent up on high,
    and angels came down and ministered unto me.
    And upon the wings of his spirit has my body been carried away

    up on exceedingly high mountains.

    And my eyes have beheld great things —

    yes, even too great for man —

    therefore I was bidden55 that I should not write them.

  8. Oh then, if I have seen so great things,

    if yhwh, in his condescension unto the children of men,

    has visited me in so much mercy,

    why should my heart weep
    and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow,
    and my flesh waste away
    and my strength slacken because of my afflictions?

    And why should I yield to sin because of my flesh?
    Yes, why should I give way to temptations,
    that the Evil One have place in my heart
    to destroy my shalom and afflict my soul?
    Why am I angry because of my enemy?

    Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin.
    Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more

    for the enemy of my soul.

    Do not anger again because of my enemies.
    Do not slacken my strength because of my afflictions.
    Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto yhwh
    and say, O yhwh, I will praise you for ever.
    Yes, my soul will rejoice in you,
    my Elohim and the Rock of my salvation.56

    O yhwh, will you redeem my soul?
    Will you deliver me out of the hands of my enemies?
    Will you make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

    May the gates of She’ol be shut continually before me
    because that my heart is broken
    and my spirit is contrite?
    O yhwh, will you not shut the gates of your righteousness

    before me,

    that I may walk in the path of the low valley,
    that I may be strict in the plain road?

    O yhwh, will you encircle me around in the robe

    of your righteousness?

    O yhwh, will you make a way for my escape

    before my enemies?

    Will you make my path straight before me?
    Will you not place a stumbling block in my way,
    but that you would clear my way before me
    and hedge not up my way, but the ways of my enemy?

    O yhwh, I have trusted in you
    and I will trust in you for ever.
    I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh,
    for I know that cursed is he that puts his trust

    in the arm of flesh.
    Yes, cursed is he that puts his trust in man

    or makes flesh his arm.57

    Yes, I know that Elohim will give liberally to him that asks.
    Yes, my Elohim will give me if I ask not amiss;
    therefore I will lift up my voice unto you.
    Yes, I will cry unto you, my Elohim,

    the Rock of my righteousness.

    Behold, my voice shall for ever ascend up unto you,

    my Rock and my El Olam.

    Amen.