1 Manje bheka, ngizonikhombisa ukuthi abazange bayimise inkosi kulelizwe; kodwa ngawo kanye lowo nyaka, yebo, unyaka wamashumi amathathu, babulala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, yebo, bambulala umahluleli omkhulu walelizwe.

2 Futhi abantu behlukana omunye nomunye baba yizizwana, wonke umuntu ngokomndeni wakhe kanye nangokwezihlobo zakhe kanye nabangane; futhi ngalendlela bawuqeda umkhandlu ophetheyo walelizwe.

3 Futhi zonke izizwana zabeka inkosi noma umholi wazo; futhi ngalendlela baba yizizwana kanye nabaholi bezizwana.

4 Manje bheka, kwakungekho muntu phakathi kwabo ngaphandle kokuthi enomndeni omkhulu kanye nezihlobo eziningi kanye nabangani; ngakho-ke izizwana zabo zaba nkulu kakhulu.

5 Manje konke lokhu kwenziwa, futhi akuzange kube khona zimpi okwangaleso sikhathi phakathi kwabo; futhi bonke lobubi beza ebantwini ngenxa yokuthi bazinikela emandleni kaSathane.

6 Futhi imithetho yomkhandlu ophetheyo yaqedwa, ngenxa yeqembu eliyimfihlo labangani kanye nezihlobo zalabo ababulala abaphrofethi.

7 Futhi badala umbango omkhulu kulelizwe, kangangokuthi iningi labantu abalungile cishe lonke lase ligcwele ububi; yebo, kwase kukhona abambalwa kuphela abantu ababelungile phakathi kwabo.

8 Futhi ngalendlela iminyaka eyisithupha yayingakedluli selokhu iningi labantu likuyekile ukulunga kwabo, njengenja ibuyela emhlanzweni wayo, noma njengengulube izibhixa odakeni lwayo.

9 Manje leliqembu eliyimfihlo, elalilethe ububi obungaka kubantu, labuthana ndawonye, futhi labeka indoda ababeyibiza ngoJakobe ukuthi ibaphathe;

10 Futhi bayibiza ngenkosi yabo, ngakho-ke waba yinkosi yaleli qembu eligcwele ububi; futhi wayengomunye wabaziwayo owayekhulume ngokuphikisana nabaphrofethi ababefakaza ngoJesu.

11 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi babengaqinile kakhulu ngokwesibalo njengezizwana zabantu, ababehlangene ndawonye ngaphandle nje kokuthi abaholi babo bamisa imithetho yabo, wonke umuntu ngokwesizwana sakhe; nokho babe yizitha; naphezu kokuthi babengebona abantu abalungile, kepha babehlangene ekuzondeni labo ababengene esivumelwaneni sokuqeda umkhandlu ophetheyo.

12 Ngakho-ke, uJakobe ebona ukuthi izitha zabo zazi ziningi kakhulu kunabo, yena eyinkosi yeqembu, ngakho-ke wayala abantu bakhe ukuthi babaleke baye enxenyeni yezwe esekugcineni ngasenyakatho, futhi lapho bazakhela umbuso wabo, kwaze kwaba bahlangana nabahlubuki, (ngokuba wayebaluthe ngokuthi kwakuzoba khona abahlubuki abaningi) futhi kwaze kwaba bayaqina ngokwanele ukuthi baphikisane nezizwana zabantu; futhi nempela benza kanjalo.

13 Futhi lwashesha kakhulu uhambo lwabo kangangokuthi lwalungenakuvinjwa kwaze kwaba base behambe baya kude kakhulu ukuba abantu bakwazi ukuthi bababambe. Futhi ngalendlela unyaka wamashumi amathathu nantathu waphela kanjalo-ke; futhi zaba kanjalo-ke izimo zabantu baNefi.

14 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu nanye bahlukana baba yizizwana, wonke umuntu ngokomndeni wakhe, izihlobo kanye nabangani bakhe; nokho benza isivumelano sokuthi bangalwi omunye nomunye; kodwa babengahlangene ngokwemithetho yabo, kanye nangendlela yokubusa kwabo, ngokuba yayimiswe ngokwemiqondo yalabo ababe ngamakhosi kanye nabaholi babo. Kodwa bamisa imithetho eqine kakhulu yokuthi isizwana esinye singeqeli kwesinye, kangangokuthi baba nakho ukuthula okuthile ezweni; nokho, izinhliziyo zabo zaziphendukile zingekho eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo, futhi babakhanda ngamatshe abaphrofethi futhi babaxosha babakhipha phakathi kwabo.

15 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi uNefi—ehanjelwe yizingilosi futhi ngokunjalo nezwi leNkosi, ngakho-ke ezibonile izingelosi, futhi engufakazi owazibonela, futhi enamandla awanikwa ukuthi azi mayelana nobufundisi bukaKristu, futhi phezu kwalokho engufakazi owazibonela ngokuphenduka kwabo okusheshayo ekulungeni beya ebubini kanye nasezinengisweni zabo;

16 Ngakho-ke, edabukile ngenxa yobulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo kanye nobumpumputhe bezingqondo zabo—wahamba waya phakathi kwabo ngawo lowo nyaka, futhi waqala ukufakaza, ngesibindi, ukuphenduka kanye nokuthethelelwa kwezono ngokukholwa eNkosini uJesu Kristu.

17 Futhi wabafundisa izinto eziningi; futhi azinakubhalwa zonke, futhi inxenye yazo ayinakwenela, ngakho-ke azibhaliwe kulencwadi. Futhi uNefi wafundisa ngamandla kanye nangegunya elikhulu.

18 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi bamthukuthelela, futhi ngokuba yena wayenamandla amakhulu kunabo, ngokuba kwaku ngenakwenzeka ukuthi bangawakholwa amazwi akhe, ngokuba lwalulukhulu ukholo lwakhe eNkosini uJesu Kristu kangangokuthi izingelosi zamsebenzela nsuku zonke.

19 Futhi ngegama likaJesu nempela wabakhipha odeveli kanye nemimoya emibi; futhi ngisho nomfowabo wamvusa ekufeni, emva kokuthi kade esekhandwe ngamatshe futhi wezwa ubuhlungu bokubulawa ngabantu.

20 Futhi abantu bakubona lokhu, futhi nempela bafakaza ngakho, futhi bamthukuthelela ngenxa yamandla akhe; futhi phezu kwalokho wenza eziningi izimangaliso, emehlweni abantu, ngegama likaJesu.

21 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi unyaka wamashumi amathathu nanye wedlula, futhi kwaba khona abambalwa nje kuphela abaphendukela eNkosini; kodwa ngobuningi balabo abaphendukayo bakhombisa kubantu ukuthi babehanjelwe ngamandla kanye nanguMoya kaNkulunkulu, owawukuJesu Kristu, ababekholelwa kuye.

22 Futhi ngobuningi balabo okwakhishwa kubo odeveli, futhi belashwa ekuguleni kanye nasebuthakathakeni babo, ngempela baveza kubantu ukuthi babethintwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu, futhi base belashiwe; futhi nempela bakhombisa izibonakaliso phezu kwalokho futhi nempela benza ezinye izimangaliso phakathi kwabantu.

23 Ngalendlela wedlula kanjalo-ke unyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili. Futhi uNefi wakhala kubantu ekuqaleni konyaka wamashumi amathathu nantathu; futhi washumayela kubo ukuphenduka kanye nokuthethelelwa kwezono.

24 Manje ngifuna ukuthi nikhumbule futhi, ukuthi akuzange kube khona namunye owalethwa ekuphendukeni ongazange abhabhadiswe ngamanzi.

25 Ngakho-ke, amadoda agcotshwa nguNefi kulobu bufundisi, ukuze kuthi bonke labo ababeza kuwo babhabhadiswe ngamanzi, futhi lokhu kube njengesibonakaliso kanye nobufakazi phambi kukaNkulunkulu, kanye nakubantu, ukuthi base bephendukile futhi bazuza ukuthethelelwa kwezono zabo.

26 Futhi kwaba khona abaningi ekuqaleni kwalonyaka ababhabhadiselwa ekuphendukeni; futhi inxenye enkulu yonyaka yaphela kanjalo-ke.