Now these are the words which Amulek preached unto the people whicho wasere in the land of Ammonihah, saying:
I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi:; and it was that same Aminadi whicho interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God.—
And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph, whicho was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.
And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry;.
nNevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvellous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvellous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people;.
nNevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times, and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of ourthe Jjudges.
As I was a journeying to see a very near kindred, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto me, and said,: Amulek, return to thine own house, for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord; yea, a holy man, whicho artis a chosen man of God; for he haths fasted many days because of the sins of this people, and he is an hungered, and thou shallt receive him into thy house and feed him, and he shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon thee and thy house.
And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of the angel, and returned towards my house. And as I was a going thither, I found the man whichom the angel said unto me,: Thou shalt receive into thy house; —and behold it was this same man whicho haths been speaking unto you concerning the things of God.—
And the angel said unto me, Hhe is a holy man; wherefore I know he is a holy man, because it was said by an angel of God.
And again:, I know that the things whereof he hath testified are true; for behold, I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth, even so he hats he sent his angel to make these things manifest unto me; and this he haths done while this Alma hath dwelt at my house;.
fFor behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father, and my kinsfolks; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake.
And now, when Amulek had spoken these words, the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness whicho testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which wasere to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them;.
nNevertheless, there were some among them whicho thought to question them, that by their cunning devices they might catch them in their words, that they might find witness against them, that they might deliver them to their Jjudges, that they might be judged according to the law, and that they might be slain or cast into prison, according to the crime which they could make appear, or witness against them.
Now it was those men whicho sought to destroy them, whicho were Llawyers, whicho were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people, before the Jjudges.
Now these Llawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of the people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful in their profession.
And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words which he should speak.
Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he saithd unto them,: O ye wicked and perverse generation;, ye Llawyers and hypocrites;, for ye are laying the foundations of the Ddevil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God;.
yYe are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter destruction of this people;.
yYea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when he was about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon, causing that this people should be governed by their own voices; —yea, well did he say, that if the time should come that the voice of this people should choose iniquity;, that is, if the time should come that this people should fall into transgression, they would be ripe for destruction.
And now I say unto you, that well doth the Lord judge of your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his angels,: Repent ye, repent, for the Kkingdom of Hheaven is at hand.
Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels, that: I will come down among my people, with equity and justice in my hands.
Yea, and I say unto you, that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, whicho are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.
But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you, then will not the Lord stay his hand,; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand, except ye repent.
And now it came to pass that the people were more angry with Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This man doth revile against our laws, which are just, and our wise Llawyers, whichom we have selected.
But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation;, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him, that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?
For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do not understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but I have not;, but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your condemnation.
And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is a beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your Jjudges.
And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken these words, the people cried out against him, saying,: Now we know that this man is a child of the Ddevil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken against our law. And now he saithys that he haths not spoken against it.
And again:, he haths reviled against our Llawyers, and our Jjudges, &c.
And it came to pass that the Llawyers put it into their hearts that they should remember these things against him.
And it came to pass that there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom. Now he beingwas the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most expert among them, having much business to do among the people.
Now the object of these Llawyers wereas to get gain; and they got gain according to their employ.