تَثنِيَة 20

١ 1 إِذَا ذَهَبْتُمْ لِمُحَارَبَةِ عَدُوِّكُمْ، وَوَجَدْتُمْ أَنَّ عَدُوَّكُمْ أَكْثَرُ مِنْكُمْ عَدَداً وخَيْلاً وَمَرْكَبَاتٍ، فَلا تَخَافُوا مِنْهُ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمُ الَّذِي حَرَّرَكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ يَقِفُ مَعَكُمْ.

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for Yhwh thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

٢ 2 وَعِنْدَمَا تَكُونُونَ عَلَى وَشْكِ خَوْضِ الْمَعْرَكَةِ يَتَقَدَّمُ الْكَاهِنُ وَيُخَاطِبُ الْجَيْشَ:

And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

٣ 3 اسْمَعْ يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ: أَنْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ مُوشِكُونَ عَلَى مُحَارَبَةِ أَعْدَائِكُمْ، فَلا تَهِنْ قُلُوبُكُمْ، لَا تَخَافُوا مِنْهُمْ وَلا تَرْتَعِدُوا وَلا تَرْهَبُوهُمْ،

And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

٤ 4 لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ سَائِرٌ مَعَكُمْ لِمُحَارَبَةِ أَعْدَائِكُمْ عَنْكُمْ، وَلِيُخَلِّصَكُمْ.

For Yhwh your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

٥ 5 ثُمَّ يَقُولُ الْقَادَةُ لِلْجَيْشِ: هَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ مَنْ بَنَى بَيْتاً جَدِيداً وَلَمْ يُدَشِّنْهُ بَعْدُ؟ فَلْيَرْجِعْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ، لِئَلّا يُقْتَلَ فِي الْمَعْرَكَةِ فَيُدَشِّنَهُ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ.

And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

٦ 6 هَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ مَنْ غَرَسَ كَرْماً وَلَمْ يَجْنِ أَوَّلَ ثِمَارِهِ بَعْدُ؟ فَلْيَرْجِعْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ لِئَلّا يُقْتَلَ فِي الْمَعْرَكَةِ فَيَجْنِيَ أَوَّلَ ثِمَارِ كَرْمِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ.

And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

٧ 7 هَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ رَجُلٌ خَطَبَ امْرَأَةً وَلَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْهَا بَعْدُ؟ لِيَرْجِعْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ لِئَلّا يُقْتَلَ فِي الْمَعْرَكَةِ فَيَتَزَوَّجَهَا رَجُلٌ آخَرُ.

And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

٨ 8 ثُمَّ يَسْتَطْرِدُ قَادَةُ الْجَيْشِ قَائِلِينَ: هَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ رَجُلٌ خَائِفٌ وَاهِنُ الْقَلْبِ؟ لِيَرْجِعْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ لِئَلّا يَعْتَرِيَ الْخَوْفُ قُلُوبَ إِخْوَتِهِ مِثْلَهُ.

And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

٩ 9 وَعِنْدَمَا يَفْرُغُ الْقَادَةُ مِنْ مُخَاطَبَةِ الْجَيْشِ، يُعَيِّنُونَ ضُبَّاطاً عَلَى الْجُنُودِ.

And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

١٠ 10 وَحِينَ تَتَقَدَّمُونَ لِمُحَارَبَةِ مَدِينَةٍ فَادْعُوهَا لِلصُّلْحِ أَوَّلاً.

When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

١١ 11 فَإِنْ أَجَابَتْكُمْ إِلَى الصُّلْحِ وَاسْتَسْلَمَتْ لَكُمْ، فَكُلُّ الشَّعْبِ السَّاكِنِ فِيهَا يُصْبِحُ عَبِيداً لَكُمْ.

And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

١٢ 12 وَإِنْ أَبَتِ الصُّلْحَ وَحَارَبَتْكُمْ فَحَاصِرُوهَا

And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

١٣ 13 فَإِذَا أَسْقَطَهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَاقْتُلُوا جَمِيعَ ذُكُورِهَا بِحَدِّ السَّيْفِ.

And when Yhwh thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

١٤ 14 وَأَمَّا النِّسَاءُ وَالأَطْفَالُ وَالْبَهَائِمُ، وَكُلُّ مَا فِي الْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ أَسْلابٍ، فَاغْنَمُوهَا لأَنْفُسِكُمْ، وَتَمَتَّعُوا بِغَنَائِمِ أَعْدَائِكُمُ الَّتِي وَهَبَهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ لَكُمْ.

But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Yhwh thy God hath given thee.

١٥ 15 هَكَذَا تَفْعَلُونَ بِكُلِّ الْمُدُنِ النَّائِيَةِ عَنْكُمُ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ مِنْ مُدُنِ الأُمَمِ الْقَاطِنَةِ هُنَا.

Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

١٦ 16 أَمَّا مُدُنُ الشُّعُوبِ الَّتِي يَهَبُهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ لَكُمْ مِيرَاثاً فَلا تَسْتَبْقُوا فِيهَا نَسَمَةً حَيَّةً،

But of the cities of these people, which Yhwh thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

١٧ 17 بَلْ دَمِّرُوهَا عَنْ بِكْرَةِ أَبِيهَا، كَمُدُنِ الْحِثِّيِّينَ وَالأَمُورِيِّينَ وَالْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ وَالْفِرِزِّيِّينَ وَالْحِوِّيِّينَ وَالْيَبُوسِيِّينَ كَمَا أَمَرَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ،

But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as Yhwh thy God hath commanded thee:

١٨ 18 لِكَيْ لَا يُعَلِّمُوكُمْ رَجَاسَاتِهِمِ الَّتِي مَارَسُوهَا فِي عِبَادَةِ آلِهَتِهِمْ، فَتَغْوُوا وَرَاءَهُمْ وَتُخْطِئُوا إِلَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ.

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against Yhwh your God.

١٩ 19 وَإذَا حَاصَرْتُمْ مَدِينَةً حِقْبَةً طَوِيلَةً مُعْلِنِينَ الْحَرْبَ عَلَيْهَا لاِفْتِتَاحِهَا، فَلا تَقْطَعُوا أَشْجَارَهَا بِحَدِّ الْفَأْسِ وَتُتْلِفُوهَا لأَنَّكُمْ تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْ ثِمَارِهَا. هَلْ شَجَرَةُ الْحَقْلِ إِنْسَانٌ حَتَّى تَهْرُبَ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمْ فِي الْحِصَارِ؟

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down ( for the tree of the field is man’s life ) to employ them in the siege:

٢٠ 20 أَمَّا الأَشْجَارُ الَّتِي لَا يُؤْكَلُ ثَمَرُهَا فَأَتْلِفُوهَا وَاقْطَعُوهَا، لاِسْتِخْدَامِهَا فِي بِنَاءِ حُصُونٍ حَوْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ الْمُحَاصَرَةِ الْمُتَحَارِبَةِ مَعَكُمْ، إِلَى أَنْ يَتِمَّ سُقُوطُهَا.

Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.