The Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 7:2

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1830 Edition

wherefore, when I come, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer. O House of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke, I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink, because the waters are dried up; and they die because of thirst.

Influences

Isaiah 50:2 (KJV)
Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

Changes

wWherefore, when I coame, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer. O Hhouse of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke, I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink, because the waters are dried up;, and they die because of thirst.

Simple English

So when I came, there was no one. When I called, there was no one to answer. People of Israel, is my hand too weak to save you? Do I have no power to rescue you? When I warn you, I dry up the sea. I make their rivers turn into deserts. Their fish smell bad because the water is dried up. They die because they have no water.

Paraphrase

So when I came, why was no one there? When I called out, why didn’t anyone answer? House of Israel, do you think my reach is too short to save you? Do I lack the power to rescue you? Listen: at my word I can turn the sea into a desert. I can dry up rivers until the fish rot and die of thirst.