1
And it came to pass that I, Lehi, and my fathers did take our journeyings separately. And it did grieve me in my heart to bid farewell unto them.
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But behold, there was not for it. For YHVH had bid that we all separate. And we did trust in His infinite wisdom. Nevertheless, they did leave with me tokens, and I them, and we did depart.
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Yet, I, Lehi, do see them upon the ways of YHVH, and this gift YHVH has given me that we may still commune from time to time. Therefore, my heart is light.
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And I did take my journeyings this final time once more unto the temple. And I did go with the spirit.
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And when I had thus come unto the very temple, behold, I did see my brethren from the council and church of Jerusalem. Yea, even the very high priest of the land.
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And when they did behold me, they did go thus straightway into their mockings. And they did seek to take away my life, or to remove me from the temple.
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And I did withstand them. And being thus filled with the spirit, behold, I did go past them and the many alters.
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And behold, they did try mightily to remove me, yet they could not touch me for the power of YHVH.
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And when I had thus entered the temple, behold, I did see the tree, and dim it had become. And incense did burn and the shewbread.
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And my brethren, or these whom I had called my brethren, did revile me, and did seek to take away my life.
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But behold, I turned unto them and did hunger and I was empty; and thus, did YHVH fill me.
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And I said unto them: Behold, oh you wicked people of Jerusalem, behold your very destruction!
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For no longer shall YHVH stay his hand against you! For you have procrastinated the day of your repentance.
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And even still you do seek my life. Yet, you cannot! For, even as YHVH does strive with me, so has He forsaken you!
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No longer will YHVH hold out his hand, for all that would repent have fled. For they, even they know of the certain destruction that will soon befall this place. And yet, you do not!
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How is it that the blind see and the deaf hear the very word of YHVH, yet you, his shepherds, will not?
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Behold, I say unto you that all you would have needed to do was repent of your sins as I and my father. Yet, you would not!
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You stood before your people and preached peace when there was no peace. You said, all is well, and wo be unto you!
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For you have led this great people astray, and none do hear the Word of YHVH! But they do fall at the feet of kings from distant lands, and they do make their beds with mammon and with Molech. And this they do because of your wicked and perverse teachings!
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Wo unto you that have perverted the Way of YHVH! For you do lead this people this way and that. And you have cast your salt upon the ground and have cursed the seeds of Elohim’s children to perish!
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Wo unto you who have perverted the ways of Elohim! For your wine has become the blood of rams and your shewbread has the leavened of Moab.
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And behold, thus says YHVH Elohim, Elohim Tzavaot: You have taken the tree and you have cast Her down as a feller. And you have taken her parts and have built unto yourselves an altar of divination. For you would not that all may see Her.
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You have hung a veil, yea, even one of many colors. And this you did that you may be seen by the eyes of men. That you might be applauded.
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For behold, if you had done so in righteousness, verily YHVH would have accepted your tithes. But behold, you have done so as to be seen by men and to lord your power over your brethren.
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And in so doing you have come up in the pride of your hearts. And behold, because you have done this, you shall be accursed!
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Behold, the very kings and nations you do praise will grow weary of you, and verily they shall come against you, and they shall destroy you!
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And you shall become a hiss and a byword. And behold, all nations shall look unto you and shall mourn for the glory of Jerusalem that has been lost. And all shall behold you and despair.
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And thus, I Lehi, did make an end. And my brethren were sore wroth with me. And the many others that were with them did take up stones that they might smite me.
29
Nevertheless, YHVH did fill my heart with more that I might say. And behold, so great was the spirit of YHVH upon me that none could lift their arms to cast their stones.
30
And these were the words that did fill my heart: For, you have heard it said by us that there shall come an One who is great above all, and He shall be sinless, and that He shall lay down His life and pick it up again.
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And this thing is of a certain truth. But behold, the spirit puts it in my heart to teach you somewhat more concerning this thing.
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For behold, a virgin shall conceive, and she shall be fair and white above all else. Behold, did not that great prophet Isaiah preach unto you concerning this thing? Behold, I say unto you that he did. Yet, your forefathers did cast him out as you do unto me.
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And behold, that it was in the time of this great prophet that the wickedness of Babylon did seep a venom into your hearts. And behold, you desired no longer to search for things of life and wisdom. But you did desire that which the children of Israel did desire.
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For verily, they did refuse to ascend the mountain that they might behold the face of their Elohim.
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No, they desired that their Elohim come verily unto them. Therefore, did they cast themselves a golden calf, and this they did that they might behold their Lord in the flesh. And verily, this thing is abominable above all, says YHVH your Elohim, Elohim Tzavaot. Therefore, their sins were counted as Sodom.
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And they did desire YHVH to come to them and come unto them He did. For He would have that they were given the higher law. Nevertheless, He did give unto them a lower law, and a burdensome one.
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And this that they might be pointed unto their Elohim. That when they did awake and arise, they would then take unto themselves that which YHVH desired for them.
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And behold, YHVH Elohim, Elohim Tzavaot was patient with them and did wait, even giving them a temple, and sending unto you many great and noble prophets to teach you.
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Behold, He has stopped armies in their tracks. He has calmed the winds and waters. And all this did He do unto you.
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And behold, He has given unto you all that you did need, and He has given unto you every opportunity to repent. Yet, you would not.
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Behold, He had His hand reached out unto you and you did shake it away from you and did avert your eyes.
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You have drug the holy tokens from their places and broken the image of your Elohim upon the ground! He was yours, yet you did break him and destroy Him.
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And this is not all! For you have lorded your power over one another. You have cast down your women and your children and have said a mean thing unto them!
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Behold, you have taught vain and foolish doctrine, and you have numbed the minds of your people.
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And for all this, YHVH’s hand was stretched forth still. And still, you did turn away. Insomuch that now, behold, He has sent prophets not a few, to testify unto you and to witness unto you.
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And verily you did straightway reject them! You did cast them out from among you and did stone them and did slay them.
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And now, behold, the blood of the saints and the prophets cries out from the ground for vengeance upon your heads.
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Oh, you vain and foolish generation. Oh, you wicked and perverse and stiff-necked people! No longer shall YHVH suffer the cries of the righteous. No longer will He suffer your wickedness. And as it was with Sodom, so shall it be with you.
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Behold, YHVH does no longer stretch forth his hand, for you have rejected it!
50
And thus, says YHVH Elohim: You shall be destroyed. And so great shall be the destruction that none may live here even down unto the seventh and the eighth generations.
51
Behold, Jerusalem shall become a waste place, and only the rats and the insects may find shelter here, thus says your Elohim!
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And behold, the inhabitants did seek my life. And they did seek to cut off my rout from the temple that they may kill me.
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But behold, an angel of YHVH appeared unto me and did show unto me a way that I might escape.
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And when I was thus fleeing, behold, YHVH did come unto me and did tell me to make haste. That I must take my family and leave Jerusalem never to return.
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And I did go in unto my family and did tell them all that had happened. And behold, they did come up in the emotions of their hearts. Nevertheless, behold, YHVH did soften their hearts insomuch that they did obey.
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And we did grab provisions not many, only that which we did need to survive in the wilderness. And thus, did we flee with only these provisions.
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And we did straightway exit the city. And behold, the order had been given that I and my brethren should be slain. Therefore, we did take our leave. And behold, it was as YHVH said, for verily, I did never return again unto my home.