中英對照/摩爾門經/摩爾門書/第4章

戰爭與屠殺不斷──惡人懲罰惡人──邪惡猖獗，為整個以色列前所未有──殺婦女和小孩祭偶像──拉曼人開始掃蕩尼腓人。約主後三六三年至三七五年。

War and carnage continue—The wicked punish the wicked—Greater wickedness prevails than ever before in all Israel—Women and children are sacrificed to idols—The Lamanites begin to sweep the Nephites before them. About A.D. 363–75.

1 事情是這樣的，第三百六十三年，尼腓人和他們的部隊離開荒蕪地，上去和拉曼人作戰。

1 And now it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and third year the Nephites did go up with their armies to ^abattleagainst the Lamanites, out of the land Desolation.

2 事情是這樣的，尼腓人的部隊再被趕回荒蕪地。他們正疲乏之際，一支精神飽滿的拉曼軍前來突襲；雙方苦戰後，拉曼人佔領了荒蕪城，殺了許多尼腓人，也俘走許多人。

2 And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites were driven back again to the land of Desolation. And while they were yet weary, a fresh army of the Lamanites did come upon them; and they had a sore battle, insomuch that the Lamanites did take possession of the ^acity Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites, and did take many prisoners.

3 其餘的人逃往鐵安肯城，加入那裡的居民。鐵安肯城位於海岸附近的邊境，鄰近荒蕪城。

3 And the remainder did flee and join the inhabitants of the city Teancum. Now the city Teancum lay in the borders by the seashore; and it was also near the city ^aDesolation.

4 這是^ａ因為尼腓人的部隊上去攻擊拉曼人，他們才開始被擊打；不然，拉曼人也無力戰勝他們。

4 And it was ^abecause the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them.

5 但是看啊，神的懲罰必制伏惡人，而且惡人自有惡人來^ａ懲罰；因為就是惡人煽動人類兒女的心去殺人流血的。

5 But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the ^awicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are ^bpunished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.

6 事情是這樣的，拉曼人準備進攻鐵安肯城。

6 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did make preparations to come against the city Teancum.

7 事情是這樣的，第三百六十四年，拉曼人進攻鐵安肯城，想一併佔領鐵安肯城。

7 And it came to pass in the three hundred and sixty and fourth year the Lamanites did come against the city Teancum, that they might take possession of the city Teancum also.

8 事情是這樣的，他們被尼腓人擊退並逐回。尼腓人見自己逐退了拉曼人，又誇耀自己的力量；他們靠自己的力量前進，再次佔領荒蕪城。

8 And it came to pass that they were repulsed and driven back by the Nephites. And when the Nephites saw that they had driven the Lamanites they did again ^aboast of their own strength; and they went forth in their own might, and took possession again of the city Desolation.

9 這些事情全都發生了，尼腓人和拉曼人雙方都有數千人陣亡。

9 And now all these things had been done, and there had been thousands slain on both sides, both the Nephites and the Lamanites.

10 事情是這樣的，過了第三百六十六年，拉曼人又來攻打尼腓人；尼腓人仍不悔改他們的惡行，執意繼續作惡。

10 And it came to pass that the three hundred and sixty and sixth year had passed away, and the Lamanites came again upon the Nephites to battle; and yet the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually.

11 尼腓人和拉曼人雙方血腥和屠殺的恐怖景象，言語無法形容，筆墨也無法完全描述；每個人硬起了心，喜愛不斷流人血。

11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they^adelighted in the shedding of blood continually.

12 根據主的話，這人民^ａ邪惡之至，無論是李海所有的子孫還是整個以色列家族，皆前所未有。

12 And there never had been so great ^awickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people.

13 事情是這樣的，拉曼人佔領了荒蕪城，因為他們的^ａ人數比尼腓人多。

13 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and this because their ^anumber did exceed the number of the Nephites.

14 他們還進攻鐵安肯城，逐出城裡的居民，俘虜許多婦女和小孩，並把他們當祭品獻給他們的^ａ偶像。

14 And they did also march forward against the city Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as^asacrifices unto their idol gods.

15 事情是這樣的，第三百六十七年，尼腓人因拉曼人用他們的婦女和小孩作祭品而發怒，於是滿懷憤怒攻打拉曼人，結果又打敗拉曼人，將他們趕出他們的土地。

15 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and seventh year, the Nephites being angry because the Lamanites had sacrificed their women and their children, that they did go against the Lamanites with exceedingly great anger, insomuch that they did beat again the Lamanites, and drive them out of their lands.

16 直到第三百七十五年，拉曼人都沒有再來攻打尼腓人。

16 And the Lamanites did not come again against the Nephites until the three hundred and seventy and fifth year.

17 這一年他們傾全力下來攻打尼腓人；他們人數眾多，未曾計算。

17 And in this year they did come down against the Nephites with all their powers; and they were not numbered because of the greatness of their number.

18 ^ａ從這時起，尼腓人再也無法勝過拉曼人，卻像陽光下的露水，開始被拉曼人掃蕩。

18 And ^afrom this time forth did the Nephites gain no power over the Lamanites, but began to be swept off by them even as a dew before the sun.

19 事情是這樣的，拉曼人下來攻打荒蕪城；在荒蕪地有一場極為慘烈的戰事，他們打敗了尼腓人。

19 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did come down against the ^acity Desolation; and there was an exceedingly sore battle fought in the land Desolation, in the which they did beat the Nephites.

20 尼腓人又逃離他們，逃到波阿斯城；他們在那裡奮勇抵抗拉曼人，使拉曼人無法打敗他們，直到第二次攻擊。

20 And they fled again from before them, and they came to the city Boaz; and there they did stand against the Lamanites with exceeding boldness, insomuch that the Lamanites did not beat them until they had come again the second time.

21 拉曼人第二次攻擊時，尼腓人敗退，遭大肆屠殺，他們的婦女和小孩又被獻給偶像。

21 And when they had come the second time, the Nephites were driven and slaughtered with an exceedingly great slaughter; their women and their ^achildren were again sacrificed unto idols.

22 事情是這樣的，尼腓人又帶著城鎮鄉村的全體居民逃離他們。

22 And it came to pass that the Nephites did again flee from before them, taking all the inhabitants with them, both in towns and villages.

23 我，摩爾門，眼看拉曼人就要征服此地，就前往^ａ歇姆山，取出阿摩龍為主藏起來的所有紀錄。

23 And now I, Mormon, seeing that the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, therefore I did go to the hill ^aShim, and did take up all the ^brecords which Ammaron had hid up unto the Lord.