CHAPTER 27
Nephi (mis)quotes Isaiah 29--The Book of Mormon is a marvelous work and a wonder (559-545 BCE)
Previous chapter | Next chapter
The Book of Mormon prophesies itself
1 But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles --
yea, behold all the
nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other
lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of
abominations --
In the last days, Gentiles and Jews will be drunk with abominations.
2 And when that day shall come they
shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with
thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring
fire.
3 And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a
dream of a night vision; yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he eateth but
he awaketh and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh
and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight
against Mount Zion.
4 For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity,
stay yourselves and wonder, for ye shall
cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be drunken but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink.
5 For behold,
the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold,
ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of
your iniquity.
And God will visit them with thunder, earthquakes, noise, storms, and fire. [1]
6And it shall come to pass that
the Lord God shall bring forth unto
you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.
7And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God,
from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.
8 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed
shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept
from them.
9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the
book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another;
10 But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver
the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the
book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the
foundation of the world unto the end thereof.
11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read
upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the
children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the
earth.
God will bring forth a book [2]
that will be sealed and delivered to a man. [3]
12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom
I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be
that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and
they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
13 And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to
the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words
of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead.
The book will be hidden from everyone except for three witnesses who will testify to the truth of the book. [4]
14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book;
and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and
wo be unto him that rejecteth
the word of God!
And woe to anyone who rejects the word of God! [5]
15 But behold, it shall come to pass
that the Lord God shall say unto him to
whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show
them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book,
and I will read them.
16 And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this,
and not for the glory of God.
17 And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book,
for it is sealed.
God will tell the man to whom he revealed the book to show it to the learned, and say, "Read this."
18 Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.
But the learned will say, "I can't read it."
19 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will
deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am
not learned.
God will then give it to a man who is not learned, who will say "I'm not learned."
20 Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they
have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give
unto thee.
21 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own
due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.
Then God will say,
The learned won't read it, so I'm giving it to you to read.
22 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and
obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up
unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to
reveal all things unto the children of men.
23 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the
world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be
according to their faith.
24And again it shall come to pass that the Lord shall say unto him that shall
read the words that shall be delivered him:
25 Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their
lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts
of men --
When you finish reading it, show it to the witnesses, seal the book again, and hide it.
I'll reveal it in my own time.
26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea,
a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their
prudent shall be hid.
27 And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And
their works are in the dark; and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say:
Surely, your turning
of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of
Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing
framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding?
28 But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it
is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed
as a forest.
29 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the
blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
30 And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the
poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
31 For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see that
the terrible one is brought
to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;
32 And they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that
reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught.
33 Therefore, thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of
Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
34 But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him,
they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
35 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that
murmured shall learn doctrine.
It will be a marvelous work and a wonder. [6]