Now Alma, having been ^awarned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and ^bdeparted into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.

 2 And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.

 3 And they fled ^aeight days' journey into the wilderness.

 4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.

 5 And they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were ^aindustrious, and did labor exceedingly.

 6 And the people were desirous that Alma should be their ^aking, for he was beloved by his people.

 7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall ^anot esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.

 8 Nevertheless, if it ^awere possible that ye could always have just men to be your ^bkings it would be well for you to have a king.

 9 But remember the ^ainiquity of king Noah and his ^bpriests; and I myself was ^ccaught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore ^drepentance;

 10 Nevertheless, ^aafter much ^btribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an ^cinstrument in his hands in bringing ^dso many of you to a knowledge of his truth.

 11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.

 12 And now I say unto you, ye have been ^aoppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been ^bbrought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the ^cbands of iniquity.

 13 And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the ^ahands of king Noah and his people, and also from the ^bbonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should ^cstand fast in this ^dliberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust ^eno man to be a king over you.