2 Nephi

Chapter 8

25 verses

1

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness. Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.

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Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.

2

Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave birth to you; for I called him alone and blessed him.

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Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him.

3

The Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her desolate places. He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there, along with thanksgiving and the sound of music.

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For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

4

Listen to me, my people, and pay attention to me, my nation. A law will come from me, and I will make my judgment a light for the people.

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Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation; for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light for the people.

5

My righteousness is close; my salvation has gone out, and my arm will judge the people. The islands will wait for me, and they will trust in my arm.

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My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

6

Look up to the heavens and look at the earth below; the heavens will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing, and those who live there will die in the same way. But my salvation will last forever, and my righteousness will never end.

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Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

7

Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose hearts I have written my law. Do not be afraid of people's criticism, and do not fear their insults.

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Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

8

The moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will continue from generation to generation.

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For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

9

Wake up, wake up! Put on strength, arm of the Lord; wake up as in ancient times. Aren’t you the one who cut down Rahab and wounded the dragon?

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Awake, awake! Put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days. Art thou not he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

10

Aren’t you the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, and made a path through the depths of the sea for those you redeemed to cross over?

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Art thou not he who hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

11

So the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion singing. Everlasting joy and holiness will be on their heads, and they will receive gladness and joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear.

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Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

12

I am the one who comforts you. Who are you to be afraid of man, who will die, and of the son of man, who will become like grass?

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I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass?

13

You forget the Lord your maker, who has stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you have lived in constant fear every day because of the anger of the oppressor, as if he were about to destroy you. But where is the fury of the oppressor?

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And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?

14

The captive exile hurries to be set free, so he won’t die in the pit or run out of bread.

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The captive exile hasteneth, that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

15

I am the Lord your God, whose waves roared; the Lord of Hosts is my name.

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But I am the Lord thy God, whose waves roared; the Lord of Hosts is my name.

16

I have put my words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of my hand so that I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, "You are my people.

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And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: Behold, thou art my people.

17

Wake up, wake up, stand up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of his anger—you have drunk the very last drops of the cup of trembling, drained completely—

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Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury—thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out—

18

And none of her sons she has raised are there to guide her; none of them take her by the hand.

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And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up.

19

These two things have happened to you—devastation and destruction, famine and sword—who will feel sorry for you, and by whom will I comfort you?

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These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee—thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword—and by whom shall I comfort thee?

20

Your sons have fainted, except for these two; they lie at the head of every street. Like a wild bull caught in a net, they are filled with the anger of the Lord, the rebuke of your God.

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Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

21

So listen to this, you who are suffering and overwhelmed, but not with wine:

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Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, and not with wine:

22

This is what your Lord, the Lord and your God, says: He pleads the cause of his people. I have taken the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury, out of your hand. You will not drink from it again.

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Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

23

But I will give it to those who have afflicted you, who have said to your soul, “Bow down so we can walk over you”—and you have laid your body on the ground and as the street for them to walk over.

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But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over—and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over.

24

Wake up, wake up, put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city. From now on, the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you.

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Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

25

Shake yourself from the dust; get up and sit down, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains around your neck, captive daughter of Zion.

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Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.