CHAPTER 9
Five guys run to the judgment-seat--They find the chief judge lying in his own blood--The five fall motionless to the ground--The people arrive and arrest
the five for murdering the judge--The judges accuse Nephi of hiring someone to kill the chief judge--Nephi proposes a sign: ask Seantum
(the brother of the chief judge) if he murdered his brother, and then look for blood on his clothes--Seantum denies and then confesses to the
murder--Some believe Nephi, some believe the five, some say that Nephi is a prophet, and some say that he is a god. (23-20 BCE)
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1 Behold, now it came to pass that when Nephi had spoken these words,
certain men who were among them ran to the judgment-seat; yea, even
there were five who went, and they said
among themselves, as they went:
2 Behold, now we will know of a surety whether this man be a prophet and God hath commanded
him to prophesy such marvelous things unto us. Behold, we do not believe that he hath; yea, we do not believe
that he is a prophet; nevertheless, if this thing which he has said concerning the chief judge be true, that
he be dead, then will we believe that the other words which he has spoken are true.
After Nephi's speech, five men ran to the judgment seat.
3 And it came to pass that they ran in their might, and came in unto the
judgment-seat; and behold, the chief judge had fallen to the earth, and did lie in his blood.
When they got there, they found the that chief judge was dead, lying in his own blood.
4 And now behold, when they saw this they were astonished exceedingly,
insomuch that they fell to the earth; for they had not believed the words which Nephi had spoken concerning
the chief judge.
5 But now, when they saw they believed, and fear came upon them lest all the judgments which
Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore they did quake, and had fallen to the earth.
When they saw this, they shook and fell to the earth. [1]
6 Now, immediately when the judge had been murdered -- he being stabbed by his brother by
a garb
of secrecy, and he fled, and the servants ran and told the people, raising the cry of murder among them;
When the judge's servants found out that the judge was murdered by his own brother in the "garb of secrecy [2],"
they told the people.
7 And behold the people did gather themselves together unto the place of the judgment-seat --
and behold, to their astonishment they saw those five men who had fallen to the earth.
All of the people then ran to the judgement-seat, where they saw the five men face-down on the ground.
8 And now behold, the people knew nothing concerning the multitude who had gathered together at
the garden of Nephi; therefore they said among themselves: These men are they who have murdered the judge,
and God has smitten them that they could not flee from us.
They assumed that these five were the murderers, figuring that God had smitten them so they couldn't get up and run away.
9 And it came to pass that they laid hold on them, and bound them and
cast them into prison. And there was a proclamation sent abroad that the judge was slain, and that the
murderers had been taken and were cast into prison.
So that cast them into prison.
10 And it came to pass that on the morrow the people did assemble
themselves together to mourn and to fast, at the burial of the great chief judge who had been slain.
The next day the people assembled to mourn, fast, and bury the late great chief judge.
11 And thus also those judges who were at the garden of Nephi, and heard his words, were also
gathered together at the burial.
12 And it came to pass that they inquired among the people, saying:
Where are the five who were sent to inquire concerning the chief judge whether he was dead? And they answered
and said: Concerning this five whom ye say ye have sent, we know not; but there are five who are the murderers,
whom we have cast into prison.
The judges summoned the five men who were imprisoned and when they arrived they told the judges what they had seen at the judgment-seat.
13 And it came to pass that the judges desired that they should be
brought; and they were brought, and behold they were the five who were sent; and behold the judges inquired
of them to know, concerning the matter, and they told them all that they had done, saying:
14 We ran and came to the place of the judgment-seat, and when we saw all things even as Nephi
had testified, we were astonished insomuch that we fell to the earth; and when we were recovered from our
astonishment, behold they cast us into prison.
15 Now, as for the murder of this man, we know not who has done it; and only this much we
know, we ran and came according as ye desired, and behold he was dead, according to the words of Nephi.
(A dead judge lying in his own blood.)
16 And now it came to pass that the judges did expound the matter unto
the people, and did cry out against Nephi, saying: Behold, we know that this Nephi must have agreed with some
one to slay the judge, and then he might declare it unto us, that he might convert us unto his faith, that he
might raise himself to be a great man, chosen of God, and a prophet.
17 And now behold, we will detect this man, and he shall confess his fault and make known
unto us the true murderer of this judge.
18 And it came to pass that the five were liberated on the day of the
burial. Nevertheless, they did rebuke the judges in the words which they had spoken against Nephi, and did
contend with them one by one, insomuch that they did confound them.
19 Nevertheless, they caused that Nephi should be taken and bound and brought before the
multitude, and they began to question him in divers ways that they might cross him, that they might accuse
him to death --
20 Saying unto him: Thou art confederate; who is this man that hath done this murder? Now
tell us, and acknowledge thy fault; saying, Behold here is money; and also we will grant unto thee thy life
if thou wilt tell us, and acknowledge the agreement which thou hast made with him.
The judges called for Nephi and accused him of paying someone to murder the judge so it would look like
he was a prophet by predicting the murder.
21 But Nephi said unto them: O ye fools, ye uncircumcised of
heart, ye blind, and ye stiffnecked people, do ye know how long the Lord your God will
suffer you that ye shall go on in this your way of sin?
Nephi begins his defense by calling his accusers fools [3], uncircumcised of heart, blind, stiff-necked, and sinful.
22 O ye ought to begin to howl and mourn, because of the great destruction which at this time
doth await you, except ye shall repent.
23 Behold ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should murder Seezoram, our chief
judge. But behold, I say unto you, that this is because I have testified unto you that ye might know
concerning this thing; yea, even for a witness unto you, that I did know of the wickedness and abominations
which are among you.
24 And because I have done this, ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should do this
thing; yea, because I showed unto you this sign ye are angry with me, and seek to destroy my life.
He suggests that they howl and mourn, since soon they'll soon be destroyed unless they repent.
25 And now behold, I will show unto you another sign, and see
if ye will in this thing seek to destroy me.
26 Behold I say unto you: Go to the house of Seantum, who is the brother of Seezoram, and say
unto him --
27 Has Nephi, the pretended prophet, who doth prophesy so much evil concerning this people,
agreed with thee, in the which ye have murdered Seezoram, who is your brother?
Then Nephi says that he'll show them another sign, telling them to go to the house of Seantum (the brother of the murdered judge, Seezoram)
and ask him if he murdered his brother.
28 And behold, he shall say unto you, Nay.
29 And ye shall say unto him: Have ye murdered your brother?
30 And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what to say. And behold, he shall deny unto
you; and he shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he shall declare unto you that he is innocent.
31 But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall find blood upon the skirts of his cloak.
32 And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that
it is the blood of your brother?
He'll say that he's innocent but check the skirts of his cloak and you'll find blood.
33 And then shall he tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come upon him.
34 And then shall ye say: Because of this fear and this paleness which has come upon your face,
behold, we know that thou art guilty.
He'll tremble and look pale, so you'll know he's guilty.
35 And then shall greater fear come upon him; and then shall he confess unto you, and deny no
more that he has done this murder.
36 And then shall he say unto you, that I, Nephi, know nothing concerning the matter save it
were given unto me by the power of God. And then shall ye know that I am an honest man, and that I am sent
unto you from God.
Then he'll confess and say that I, Nephi, knew all this by the power of God.
37 And it came to pass that they went and did, even according as Nephi
had said unto them. And behold, the words which he had said were true; for according to the words he did
deny; and also according to the words he did confess.
And everything happened just like Nephi said it would: Seantum denied and then confessed.
38 And he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer, insomuch that the five
were set at liberty, and also was Nephi.
39 And there were some of the Nephites who believed on the words of Nephi; and there were some
also, who believed because of the testimony of the five, for they had been converted while they were in prison.
The five men were released, as was Nephi.
40 And now there were some among the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet.
41 And there were others who said: Behold, he is a god, for except he was a god he could not
know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and also has told us things; and
even he has brought unto our knowledge the true murderer of our chief judge.
Some people believed the words of Nephi, some believed the testimony of the five, some said that Nephi was a prophet,
and some said that he was a god.
9:1-41
