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2 Nephi 25


Chapter 25

Nephi glories in plainness—Isaiah’s prophecies will be understood in the last days—The Jews will return from Babylon, crucify the Messiah, and be scattered and scourged—They will be restored when they believe in the Messiah—He will first come six hundred years after Lehi left Jerusalem—The Nephites keep the law of Moses and believe in Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel. About 559–545 B.C.

Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations.

Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken.

Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.

Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.

But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.

But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err; nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass.

Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.

And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews because of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation according to their iniquities; and never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord.

10 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are carried away captive into Babylon.

11 And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me. And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be restored again to the land of their inheritance.

12 But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.

13 Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

14 And behold it shall come to pass that after the Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be destroyed again; for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church.

15 Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.

16 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.

17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

19 For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.

22 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be judged of them according to the words which are written.

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.

25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away.

28 And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand. And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law.

29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.

30 And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses.

      • abomination (noun)

        Something that is loathsome, offensive, sinful, or sacrilegious.

      • according to (preposition)

        In a way that agrees with.

      • after the manner of (adverb phrase)

        Following the pattern or customs of; according to the principles of.

      • angel (noun)

        Messenger from God. Some are spirits of people who have lived or will later live on the earth. Others are people who have been resurrected.

      • as many as (adjective phrase)

        All; each of.

      • Atonement (noun)

        Jesus Christ’s suffering and death, which saves us from death and, if we repent, from the consequences of our sins.

      • carry away captive (verb phrase)

        To take someone prisoner.

      • B.C. (noun)

        Before the birth of Christ.

      • Babylon (proper noun)

        Ancient city and empire located east of Jerusalem (now in Iraq).

      • because of (conjunction)

        By reason of; through.

      • before (preposition)

        In front of.

      • behold (interjection, archaic)

        Look! See! In fact.

      • behold (verb)

        To look; to see; to notice.

      • believe on his name (verb phrase)

        Believe in Him.

      • bow, bow down (verb)

        To bend the head, kneel, or lie down on one’s belly as a courtesy to others, a sign of submission to a ruler, or as worship to God.

      • bring forth (verb)

        To reveal; to disclose.

      • brother, brethren (noun)

        Peer; neighbor; relative; kinsman.

      • by the mouth of (adverb phrase)

        Through; by someone with authority or acting as spokesman.

      • cast out, cast off, cast away (verb)

        To throw out; to chase away.

      • cast one’s eyes (verb phrase)

        Look; direct one’s eyes.

      • cause (adverb phrase)

        Reason.

      • children of men (noun)

        All people.

      • Christ (noun)

        A title for Jesus Christ. The titles Christ and Messiah both mean a king or priest sent by God to save the world.

      • come out from (or of) (verb phrase)

        Leave; flee.

      • cometh (verb, archaic)

        Comes.

      • commandment (noun)

        Law; order; binding instruction (especially from God).

      • concerning (preposition)

        About.

      • concerning (preposition)

        About.

      • convincing (noun)

        Persuading; proving.

      • day (noun)

        Period; time.

      • latter days; last days (noun)

        Modern times; the period before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (sometimes also called the “end times”).

      • one’s days (noun)

        One’s life.

      • deny (verb)

        To claim something is false or unimportant; to refuse to recognize or obey.

      • destroy (verb)

        To kill; to thwart.

      • destroy (verb)

        To kill; to tear down or ruin completely.

      • destruction (noun)

        The tearing down or complete ruin of something.

      • did, didst (verb, archaic)

        A term used before verbs to make them past tense.

      • diligently (adverb)

        Consistently, conscientiously, and carefully.

      • be done away (verb)

        To cease; to be put to a stop.

      • doth, doeth (verb, archaic)

        Does.

      • down to, down until (adverb)

        Until.

      • dwell (verb)

        To live; to reside.

      • end (noun)

        Purpose; goal.

      • even (adverb)

        Specifically.

      • even unto (adverb)

        To the point of; up until.

      • expedient (adjective)

        Necessary; appropriate.

      • faith (noun)

        Belief in God, willingness to follow His gospel, and trust in the impressions of the Holy Ghost.

      • Father (proper noun)

        God the Father. He created all life and is the Father of our spirits. He rules all things and is just, righteous, merciful, and loving. He is the father of Jesus Christ.

      • for behold (conjunction)

        Therefore; so you see.

      • for behold (conjunction)

        Because you see.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because; because you see.

      • for (preposition)

        Because of.

      • from (preposition)

        Starting from or with.

      • generation (noun)

        An age; a long period of time; the people living at a given time.

      • from generation to generation (adverb phrase)

        Forever; for a very long period of time (generation means all the people living at one time).

      • God (proper noun)

        God the Father or His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father rules all things with perfect justice, mercy, and love. Jesus Christ often speaks and acts for His Father. He suffered so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be resurrected. The Father and Son are separate individuals but are united in purpose.

      • kingdom of God (noun)

        The place where the righteous live in the presence of God in the next life (sometimes called heaven).

      • Son of God (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. He is Heavenly Father’s Firstborn Child in the spirit and His Only Child in the flesh.

      • grace (noun)

        Gifts given by God regardless of whether we deserve them.

      • great (adjective)

        Big; signficant.

      • hard (adjective)

        Difficult; not easy.

      • harden one’s heart (verb phrase)

        Make or become stubborn, wicked, or resistant to good influences.

      • hardness of one’s heart (noun phrase)

        Stubbornness; wickedness; resistance to good influences.

      • hath (verb, archaic)

        Has.

      • heart (noun)

        A person’s thoughts, desires, and feelings.

      • heaven (noun)

        The sky; figuratively, the place where God lives.

      • Holy One of Israel (or Jacob) (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. (Israel and Jacob are names for God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible.)

      • holy (adjective)

        Sacred; set apart for God’s purposes.

      • in his name (adverb phrase)

        With faith in Him; while following His teachings.

      • in the flesh (prepositional phrase)

        On earth; alive; among mortal people.

      • inasmuch as (adverb phrase)

        Insofar as; to the extent that.

      • land or place of one’s inheritance (noun phrase)

        A land or place one has received from God or from one’s ancestors.

      • iniquity (noun)

        Wickedness; evil.

      • house of Israel (proper noun)

        God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible (house means a nation or tribe); members of God’s Church.

      • Jerusalem (proper noun)

        Capital of the ancient kingdom of Judah, located in modern Israel; site of key events of the Bible.

      • land of Jerusalem (proper noun)

        The area around Jerusalem, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Judah.

      • Jesus Christ (proper noun)

        The Son of God. He created the earth and rules it. He often speaks and acts for His Father. He suffered so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be resurrected.

      • Jew (proper noun)

        Member of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel; people who lived in the land of Judah.

      • Joseph (proper noun)

        Prophet who was the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel, as recounted in the first part of the BIble

      • judge (verb)

        To decide whether someone has done right or wrong; to decide on someone’s reward or punishment.

      • judged of them (verb phrase)

        Judged in light of them; judged on whether they followed them.

      • judgment (noun)

        Punishment from God for evil acts.

      • keep (verb)

        To follow; to obey; to live according to.

      • law (noun)

        The law of Moses, which the people of Israel were required to live before the coming of Jesus Christ in mortality. It included animal sacrifices that symbolized the Atonement of Christ.

      • law of Moses (proper noun)

        Law given by God through Moses to the people of Israel. It included instructions on worship, personal righteousness, family and community relationships, care for the poor, and other subjects. Some parts of the law of Moses, such as animal sacrifice, were to be practiced only until the death of Jesus Christ.

      • live (verb)

        To live eternally.

      • look to (verb phrase)

        To rely on; to go to for help.

      • Lord God (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • Lord (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • lost (adjective)

        Separated from God because of mortality and sin.

      • man (noun)

        Human beings.

      • men (noun)

        People; humanity.

      • manifest (verb)

        To appear; to show.

      • mankind (noun)

        All people.

      • marvelous (adjective)

        Wonderful; astonishing.

      • may, might (verb)

        Can; could.

      • Messiah (proper noun)

        A title for Jesus Christ. The titles Messiah and Christ both mean a king or priest sent by God to save the world.

      • might (noun)

        Strength; powers; ability.

      • Moses (proper noun)

        Prophet who led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the land of Israel, as recounted in the first part of the Bible.

      • must needs (verb)

        To must.

      • mine (pronoun, archaic)

        My.

      • nation (noun)

        A large group of people who are related to each other or who have the same language, history, or government; the country where they live.

      • need not (verb phrase)

        Have no need.

      • Nephi (proper noun)

        A prophet, fourth son of Lehi; author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon.

      • nevertheless (adverb)

        But still; in spite of this.

      • notwithstanding (conjunction)

        Although; even though.

      • in nowise (noun)

        In no way.

      • O (interjection, archaic)

        A word placed before the name of someone being addressed, often to show strong feeling.

      • ordinance (noun)

        A ceremony through which one worships God or makes covenants with Him.

      • perish (verb)

        To die; to be killed.

      • persuade (verb)

        To convince; to bring someone to believe or agree.

      • preach (verb)

        To give a public speech on principles of faith or on how to live a righteous life.

      • preserve (verb)

        To retain; to keep from losing.

      • prophecy (noun)

        A message from God delivered by a prophet. In some cases these reveal future events.

      • spirit of prophecy (noun)

        A gift from God to be able to foretell future events or deliver messages from Him.

      • prophesy (verb)

        To deliver a message or predict future events by inspiration from God.

      • prophecy (verb)

        To deliver a message or predict future events by inspiration from God.

      • prophet (noun)

        A person sent by God to speak for Him.

      • purpose (noun)

        Goal; intent; the reason for doing something.

      • rejoice (verb)

        To feel or express great joy.

      • remission (noun)

        Pardon; forgiveness; being freed from penalties.

      • restore (verb)

        To bring back.

      • rise (verb)

        To be resurrected; to rise from the dead.

      • round about (preposition)

        Around; surrounding.

      • save it be (adverb phrase)

        Except; other than.

      • save it be (adverb phrase)

        Unless.

      • save it were (adverb phrase)

        Except for.

      • save (preposition)

        Except; unless.

      • save (verb)

        To rescue from death and sin.

      • seed (noun)

        Posterity; descendants.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • should (verb)

        May; must; ought to.

      • it shall came to pass (verb phrase)

        It will happened.

      • sin (noun)

        An evil act; disobedience to God’s commandments.

      • smite, smote, smitten (verb, archaic)

        Hit.

      • somewhat (adverb)

        Some amount.

      • soul (noun)

        Spirit; the part of us that exists before birth, that continues after death, and that has awareness and the ability to choose.

      • for the space of (adverb phrase)

        During; for the period of time of.

      • Spirit (noun)

        The Holy Ghost, also known as the Spirit of the Lord. He is a divine spirit, one in purpose with God the Father and Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and testifies of truth.

      • stand (noun)

        Endure; last.

      • state (noun)

        Condition; circumstance.

      • stiffnecked (adjective)

        Stubborn; proud.

      • strength (noun)

        Force; power; vigor.

      • sufficient (adjective)

        Enough; adequate.

      • suppose (verb)

        To believe.

      • of a surety (prepositional phrase)

        With certainty; for sure.

      • testimony (noun)

        A statement by someone with personal knowledge that something is true.

      • that (conjunction)

        In order that; so that.

      • that (conjunction)

        Who.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        For; to.

      • unto (preposition)

        Sufficient for; resulting in.

      • like unto (preposition)

        Like; the same as.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • war (noun)

        Extended fight between large groups of people.

      • whereby (conjunction)

        By which.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So you see; therefore.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So.

      • will (noun)

        Desire; intention; plan.

      • would (verb)

        Desire to; want to; would like to.

      • with (preposition)

        Through; by means of.

      • wo unto (interjection)

        Bad things will happen to; cursed is.

      • word (noun)

        Message; teachings.

      • works (noun)

        Actions; deeds.

      • worship (verb)

        To honor, venerate, or praise God.

      • ye (pronoun, archaic)

        You.

      • yea (interjection, archaic)

        Indeed; yes. This is pronounced “yay.”