- 9Now I’ll continue with my record. Because of Akish and his friends’ secret alliance, they overthrew Omer’s kingdom. 2Still, the Lord was merciful to Omer, and to his children who didn’t want to kill him. 3The Lord warned Omer in a dream to leave the land. So Omer left the land with his family and traveled many days and came over and passed by the hill Shim and went over near the place where the Nephites were slaughtered, and from there eastward, arriving at a place called Ablom, by the seashore. He pitched his tent there, along with his children and his whole household except for Jared and his family.
- 4Jared was anointed king over the people using wicked means and he gave his daughter to be Akish’s wife. 5Then Akish plotted to take his father-in-law’s life, using those he had sworn to secrecy with an ancient oath. And they cut off his father-in-law’s head while he sat on his throne listening to his people. 6Indeed, this evil, secret society had spread so much it had corrupted the hearts and minds of everyone. As a result, Jared was murdered on his throne, and Akish ruled in his place.
- 7Then Akish got jealous of his son. So he imprisoned him and provided him with little or no food until he died. 8Now the one who had died had a brother named Nimrah, and he was angry with his father because of what he had done to his brother. 9So Nimrah gathered a small number of men and escaped from the land and came over and lived with Omer. 10Then Akish had other sons, who won the hearts of the people, despite having sworn to Akish to follow his orders to commit all kinds of iniquity. 11Now Akish’s people wanted to become rich, just as Akish wanted power. So Akish’s sons offered them money, and in this way they drew away the majority of the people to follow them. 12A war began between Akish and his sons, lasting many years, resulting in nearly everyone in the kingdom being killed. Only 30 people survived, besides those who had escaped with Omer’s household. 13So Omer was restored to his own land.
- 14Then Omer grew old. Nevertheless, in his old age he had a son named Emer, whom he anointed to be king, to rule as his successor. 15After he had anointed Emer to be king, Omer had peace in the land for two years. Then he died, having lived through many unhappy years. Emer ruled in his place and followed his father’s example. 16The Lord again began to remove the curse from the land. Emer’s household prospered greatly under his rule. In 62 years they had become very prosperous, so much so that they became very wealthy, 17having all kinds of fruit and grain, textiles, fine linen, gold, silver, and valuables, 18and all kinds of cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, and many other kinds of animals useful for man’s food. 19They also had horses and donkeys, as well as elephants, cureloms, and cumoms, all useful to man, but especially the elephants, cureloms, and cumoms. 20So the Lord poured out His blessings on this land, which was specially chosen above all other lands. He commanded all who might live on the land to live there in obedience to the Lord, or they would be swept away when they had ripened in iniquity. The Lord said: I’ll pour out the full extent of My wrath upon them.
- 21Emer administered justice in righteousness his whole life, and he had many sons and daughters. Among them he had a son named Coriantum, whom he anointed to rule as his successor. 22After he had anointed Coriantum to rule in his place, he lived four years, experiencing peace in the land. He even saw the Son of Righteousness and was glad and rejoiced in his day, and he died in peace.
- 23Coriantum followed his father’s example, and he built many great cities and administered good things to his people his whole life. He didn’t have any children until he was very old. 24His wife died when she was 102 years old. Then Coriantum married a young woman in his old age and had sons and daughters. He lived until he was 142 years old. 25He had a son named Com, who ruled as his successor. He ruled 49 years, and he had a son named Heth; and he also had other sons and daughters. 26The people had spread again over the whole land. And a very great wickedness returned to the land again. Heth began to embrace the secret, ancient plans once more, in order to kill his father. 27He dethroned his father, killing him with his own sword. And he ruled in his place.
- 28Prophets came into the land again, crying out repentance to them, that they must prepare the way for the Lord, or a curse would descend upon the land; indeed, there would be a great famine and they would die if they didn’t repent. 29But the people didn’t believe the prophets’ words, and they exiled them. They threw some of them into pits and left them to die. They did all these things following king Heth’s command. 30Then a severe famine arose in the land. The people began to die very quickly from the famine, since it didn’t rain. 31Venomous snakes appeared on the land, poisoning many people. Their flocks started fleeing from the snakes toward the land to the south, which the Nephites later called Zarahemla. 32And many flocks died while fleeing. But some of them escaped into the land southward. 33The Lord caused the snakes to stop pursuing them and instead, they blocked the way, so the people couldn’t pass, and any who tried to get through died from the venomous snakes. 34The people followed the path of the animals and ate the carcasses of those that died as they were fleeing, until they had devoured them all.
- When the people saw they were going to die, they began to repent of their iniquities and cry out to the Lord. 35When they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord, the Lord sent rain on the earth. And the people began to recover, and fruit began to grow in the north country and the surrounding regions. The Lord reminded them of His power by saving them from famine.
- 10Heth as well as his whole household had died from the famine except for his descendant Shez. Then Shez began to rebuild a broken people. 2He remembered the destruction of his forefathers, and he established a righteous kingdom, remembering what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the sea. He lived the way the Lord commanded, and he had sons and daughters. 3But his oldest son, whose name was also Shez, rebelled against him. However, he was struck down and killed by a robber because of his great wealth, giving his father peace once more. 4His father built many cities on the land. The people again began to spread over the land. Shez lived to be very old, and he had a son named Riplakish. Then Shez died, and Riplakish ruled as his successor.
- 5But Riplakish didn’t live righteously in the Lord’s eyes, since he had many wives and concubines, and he oppressed the people with burdens difficult to bear. He imposed heavy taxes and built many spacious buildings with the tax revenue. 6He erected a very beautiful throne for himself and built many prisons. He imprisoned any who refused to pay taxes. He threw any who were unable to pay taxes into prison, making them work continually for their support. He had any who refused to work put to death. 7He obtained all his fine things, including pure gold that was refined in prison. He had a variety of fine pieces of craftsmanship made in prison.
- He afflicted the people with his whoredoms and abominations. 8When he had ruled 42 years, the people rose up in rebellion against him. War broke out again in the land to such an extent that Riplakish was killed and his descendants were driven from the land. 9After many years, Morianton, a descendant of Riplakish, gathered an army of exiles and attacked, gaining power over many cities. The war became severe and lasted many years, and he obtained power over the whole land and set himself up as king over the whole land. 10After he had set himself up as king, he eased the people’s burdens, in this way winning their approval; and they anointed him to be their king. 11He did what was right for the people, but not for himself, on account of his many whoredoms; so he was cut off from the Lord’s presence.
- 12Morianton established many cities. The people became very wealthy under his rule, in buildings, in gold and silver, in raising grain, in flocks and herds, and in those things that had been restored to them. 13Morianton lived to a very old age, and then he had a son named Kim. Kim ruled as his father’s successor. He ruled eight years and his father died. But Kim didn’t rule in righteousness, and so the Lord didn’t bless him. 14His brother rose up in rebellion against him, and as a result of the rebellion he captured him and enslaved him. He remained in captivity his whole life, having sons and daughters while living in captivity. In his old age, he had a son named Levi, just before he died.
- 15Levi worked as a slave after his father’s death for 42 years. Then he made war against the king of the land and as a result he obtained for himself the kingdom. 16After he had obtained the kingdom for himself, he did what was right in the Lord’s eyes. And the people prospered in the land. He lived a very long time and had sons and daughters. He also had a son named Corom, whom he anointed king in his place.
- 17Corom did what was right in the Lord’s eyes throughout his life, and he had many sons and daughters. After he had lived a long time, he died, like everyone else on earth, and Kish ruled as his successor. 18Then Kish also died, and Lib ruled as his successor. 19Lib also did what was right in the Lord’s eyes. During Lib’s time, the venomous snakes were eliminated. As a consequence, they went into the land to the south to hunt food for the people of the land, because the land was filled with forest animals. And Lib became a great hunter. 20They built a large city by the narrow neck of land, where the sea divides the land. 21They preserved the land to the south as a wilderness area where they could hunt wild game. And the whole land to the north was filled with inhabitants. 22They were very industrious, and they bought, sold, and traded with each other in order to make money. 23They processed all kinds of ore, and they refined gold, silver, iron, bronze, and all kinds of metals; and they dug these out of the ground. So they threw up great mounds of earth in order to recover ore of gold, silver, iron, and copper. They fashioned a variety of fine pieces of craftsmanship. 24They had textiles and fine woven linen, and they made all kinds of cloth so they had clothes to wear and to dress themselves with. 25They made all types of tools to cultivate the earth, to plow and sow, to reap and hoe, and to thresh. 26They made all kinds of tools to use with their animals. 27They made all types of weapons. They also made all kinds of elaborately worked objects. 28No nation was ever more blessed than they were or given more prosperity by the Lord. And they were in a land specially chosen and better than all other places on earth, because the Lord had declared it.
- 29Lib lived many years and had sons and daughters, and he also had a son named Hearthom. 30Hearthom ruled as his father’s successor. When Hearthom had ruled for 24 years, he lost the kingdom. He worked as a slave for many years, all the way to the end of his life. 31He had a son named Heth. Heth lived in captivity his whole life, and he had a son named Aaron. Aaron lived in captivity his whole life, and he had a son named Amnigaddah. Amnigaddah also lived in captivity his whole life, and he had a son named Coriantum. And Coriantum lived in captivity his whole life, and he had a son named Com.
- 32Com drew away half the kingdom and ruled over half the kingdom for 42 years. He went to battle against king Amgid, and they fought for many years, during which time Com gained power over Amgid and got control of the rest of the kingdom. 33In Com’s days, robbers began to appear in the land, and they adopted the ancient plans, and administered oaths like those long ago did, again attempting to destroy the kingdom. 34Now Com fought them a great deal, but he didn’t succeed in defeating them.
- 11During Com’s time, many prophets returned again, prophesying of that great nation’s destruction unless they repented and turned to the Lord and gave up committing murder and doing evil. 2But the people rejected the prophets. And they fled to Com for protection, because the people tried to kill them. 3They prophesied many things to Com, and he was blessed for the rest of his life. 4Com lived a very long time and had a son named Shiblon; and Shiblon ruled as his successor.
- But Shiblon’s brother rebelled against him, and a massive war developed throughout the land. 5Shiblon’s brother had all the prophets who prophesied of the people’s destruction put to death. 6There were great difficulties and misery throughout the land since they had testified a great curse would come upon the land and upon the people and there would be terrible destruction among them, such as never had occurred on earth, and that their bones would be piled up on the land as mounds of earth unless they repented of their wickedness. 7But they didn’t listen to the Lord’s voice because of their wicked conspiracies. As a result, wars and conflicts occurred throughout the land, and also famines, diseases, and calamities, so many it resulted in terrible destruction, unlike anything experienced before on earth. All this happened during Shiblon’s days. 8And the people began to repent of their iniquity. To the degree they did, the Lord had mercy on them.
- 9Then Shiblon was killed, and Seth was captured, and he lived in captivity throughout his life. 10His son Ahah obtained the kingdom, and he ruled over the people his whole life. He committed all kinds of iniquity during his life, resulting in the deaths of many people; and his life was short. 11Ethem, a descendant of Ahah, obtained the kingdom; and he also acted wickedly during his life. 12During Ethem’s time, many prophets came again and prophesied to the people. They prophesied the Lord would completely destroy them and remove them from the earth unless they repented of their iniquities. 13But the people hardened their hearts and refused to listen. And the prophets mourned and withdrew from the people.
- 14Ethem executed the laws in wickedness his whole life; and he had a son named Moron, who ruled as his successor. Moron lived wickedly in the Lord’s eyes. 15A rebellion arose among the people because of the secret conspiracy that was established in order to obtain power and wealth. A strong man arose among them, powerful in evil, who engaged Moron in battle, by which he conquered half the kingdom; and he held onto half the kingdom for many years. 16At length Moron defeated him and regained the kingdom. 17Another powerful man rose up in rebellion, and he was a descendant of Jared’s brother. 18He defeated Moron and obtained the kingdom. As a result, Moron lived in captivity the rest of his life, and he had a son named Coriantor.
- 19And Coriantor lived in captivity his whole life. 20During his time, many prophets also came, prophesying of great and miraculous things and begging the people to repent — that unless they repented, the Lord God would execute judgment against them to their complete destruction, 21and the Lord God would send or bring forth another people to live there, by His power and in the same way He brought their ancestors. 22But they rejected everything the prophets said because of their secret society and their wicked abominations. 23Coriantor had a son named Ether; and he died, having lived in captivity his whole life.
Chapter 4