12:1 And it came to pass that after the space of two years that Abinadi
came among them in disguise, that they knew him not, and began to
prophesy among them, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me,
saying—Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have
hardened their hearts against my words; they have repented not of their
evil doings; therefore, I will visit them in my anger, yea, in my
fierce anger will I visit them in their iniquities and abominations.
12:2 Yea, wo be unto this generation! And the Lord said unto me:
Stretch forth thy hand and prophesy saying: Thus saith the Lord, it
shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities,
shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea,
and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the vultures of the
air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall devour their flesh.
12:3 And it shall come to pass that the life of king Noah shall be
valued even as a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know that I am
the Lord.
12:4 And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my people with
sore afflictions, yea, with famine and with pestilence; and I will
cause that they shall howl all the day long.
12:5 Yea, and I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon
their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass.
12:6 And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail among them,
and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the east
wind; and insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain.
12:7 And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence—and all this
will I do because of their iniquities and abominations.
12:8 And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly
destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a
record behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which
shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover
the abominations of this people to other nations. And many things did
Abinadi prophesy against this people.
12:9 And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took
him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king:
Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil
concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them.
12:10 And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that
thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire.
12:11 And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalk, even as a dry
stalk of the field, which is run over by the beasts and trodden under
foot.
12:12 And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle,
which, when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is driven forth
upon the face of the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it.
And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou repent, and this
because of thine iniquities.
12:13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great
sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or
judged of this man?
12:14 And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless, and thou, O king, hast
not sinned; therefore, this man has lied concerning you, and he has
prophesied in vain.
12:15 And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be
taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land,
and thou shalt also prosper.
12:16 Behold, here is the man, we deliver him into thy hands; thou
mayest do with him as seemeth thee good.
12:17 And it came to pass that king Noah caused that Abinadi should be
cast into prison; and he commanded that the priests should gather
themselves together that he might hold a council with them what he
should do with him.
12:18 And it came to pass that they said unto the king: Bring him
hither that we may question him; and the king commanded that he should
be brought before them.
12:19 And they began to question him, that they might cross him, that
thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them
boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment;
for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did confound them
in all their words.
12:20 And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: What meaneth
the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers,
saying:
12:21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that
bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good
tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy
God reigneth;
12:22 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together
shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall
bring again Zion;
12:23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem;
for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;
12:24 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our
God?
12:25 And now Abinadi said unto them: Are you priests, and pretend to
teach this people, and to understand the spirit of prophesying, and yet
desire to know of me what these things mean?
12:26 I say unto you, wo be unto you for perverting the ways of the
Lord! For if ye understand these things ye have not taught them;
therefore, ye have perverted the ways of the Lord.
12:27 Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye
have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people?
12:28 And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
12:29 And again he said unto them: If ye teach the law of Moses why do
ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit
whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and cause this
people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy
against this people, yea, even a great evil against this people?
12:30 Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the
truth; and you ought to tremble before God.
12:31 And it shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten for your
iniquities, for ye have said that ye teach the law of Moses. And what
know ye concerning the law of Moses? Doth salvation come by the law of
Moses? What say ye?
12:32 And they answered and said that salvation did come by the law of
Moses.
12:33 But now Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye keep the
commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments
which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai, saying:
12:34 I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
12:35 Thou shalt have no other God before me.
12:36 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
of any thing in heaven above, or things which are in the earth beneath.
12:37 Now Abinadi said unto them, Have ye done all this? I say unto
you, Nay, ye have not. And have ye taught this people that they should
do all these things? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not.