1
Woe to those who make unjust laws and write oppressive rules they have created;
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Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2 Nephi
Chapter 20
34 verses
2
They turn away the needy from justice and take away the rights of the poor among my people, so that widows become their prey and they rob the fatherless.
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To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
3
What will you do when you are visited with judgment, and when destruction comes from far away? Who will you run to for help, and where will you leave your glory?
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And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
4
Without me, they will bow down among the prisoners and fall among the slain. Even with all this, his anger is not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out.
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Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
5
O Assyrian, you are the rod of my anger, and the staff in your hand is my indignation.
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O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is their indignation.
6
I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and I will command him to attack the people of my anger, to take their goods and possessions, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
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I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7
He doesn’t mean it that way, and his heart doesn’t think that way; but in his heart, he wants to destroy and wipe out many nations.
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Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
8
He says, “Aren’t all my princes actually kings? ”
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For he saith: Are not my princes altogether kings?
9
Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?
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Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?
10
Just as my hand has established the kingdoms of the idols, and their carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria;
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As my hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11
Won’t I do to Jerusalem and her idols the same thing I did to Samaria and her idols?
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Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?
12
When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem, I will punish the pride of the king of Assyria and the arrogance of his haughty looks.
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Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
13
He says: By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things, for I am wise. I have moved the borders of the people, taken their treasures, and brought down the inhabitants like a strong man.
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For he saith: By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man;
14
My hand has found the riches of the people like a nest, and just as someone gathers abandoned eggs, I have gathered all the earth. No one moved a wing, opened their mouth, or made a sound.
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And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
15
Can the ax brag against the one who uses it? Can the saw make itself greater than the person who moves it? That would be like a rod trying to shake itself against those who lift it, or a staff trying to lift itself as if it weren’t made of wood.
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Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!
16
So the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, will send leanness among his prosperous people, and under his glory he will start a fire burning like the burning of a flame.
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Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones, leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17
The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, burning and consuming his thorns and briers in a single day.
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And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18
It will destroy the beauty of his forest and his fertile field, both soul and body; and they will be like a flag bearer who collapses.
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And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.
19
And the remaining trees in his forest will be so few that a child could count them.
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And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
20
On that day, the remnant of Israel and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
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And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21
The remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
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The remnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22
Even though your people Israel are as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return; the destruction that has been determined will be filled with righteousness.
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For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23
The Lord God of Hosts will bring about a complete destruction, as determined, throughout the entire land.
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For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a consumption, even determined in all the land.
24
So the Lord God of Hosts says: My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian; he will strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, just like he did in Egypt.
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Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Hosts: O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25
In just a little while, my anger will end, and my wrath will be finished with their destruction.
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For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
26
The Lord of Hosts will bring a punishment on him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. Just as His rod was over the sea, He will raise it again as He did in Egypt.
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And the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
27
On that day, his burden will be taken off your shoulder, and his yoke will be removed from your neck; the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing.
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And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
28
He has come to Aiath and passed through Migron; at Michmash he has stored his supplies.
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He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages.
29
They have crossed the pass; they are staying at Geba. Ramah is afraid, and Gibeah of Saul has fled.
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They are gone over the passage; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramath is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
30
Raise your voice, daughter of Gallim; let it be heard in Laish, poor Anathoth.
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Lift up the voice, O daughter of Gallim; cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
31
Madmenah has been moved; the people of Gebim are gathering to escape.
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Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
32
He will still be at Nob that day; he will shake his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
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As yet shall he remain at Nob that day; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33
The Lord, the Lord of Hosts, will cut off the bough with terror; those who are tall will be cut down, and the proud will be humbled.
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Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and the haughty shall be humbled.
34
He will cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon will fall by a mighty one.
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And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.