Deuteronomy 20
1 Nangcae khaeah Izip prae thung hoiah nangcae zaehoikung na Angraeng Sithaw oh pongah, misatuk han na caeh o naah, nangmacae pong kapop kue hrangnawk, hrang lakoknawk hoi kaminawk to na hnuk o cadoeh, nihcae to zii o hmah.
“When your [soldiers] go to fight your enemies, and you see that they have many horses and chariots and that their army is much bigger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God, who brought your [ancestors safely] out of Egypt, will be with you.
2 Misatuk han na caeh o tom naah, qaima mah hmaa ah caeh moe, kaminawk khaeah,
When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.
3 aw Israel kaminawk, tahngai oh; vaihniah misatuk han na caeh o; palungboeng o hmah loe, zii o hmah; tasoeh o hmah loe, nihcae hmaa ah tasoehhaih hoiah doeh om o hmah;
He must say to them, ‘You Israeli men, listen to me! Today you are going to fight against your enemies. Do not be timid or afraid [DOU] or tremble or panic [DOU],
4 na Angraeng Sithaw loe nangcae ih misanawk to tuk moe, nangcae pahlong hanah, nangcae hoi nawnto a caeh, tiah thui pae tih.
because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’
5 Ukkungnawk mah doeh kaminawk khaeah, Im kangtha na sak o naah, Angraeng khae aap ai kami na oh o maw? Anih loe a im ah amlaem let nasoe; to tih ai nahaeloe anih loe misatukhaih ahmuen ah dueh ueloe, kalah kami mah a im to aap pae ving tih.
Then the army officers must say to the troops, ‘If anyone among you has just built a new house [RHQ] and has not dedicated it [to God], he should go home [and dedicate the house]. If he does not do that, if he dies in the battle, someone else will dedicate the house [and live in it].
6 Misur takha to na sak o, toe athaih caa ai kami na oh o maw? Anih loe a im ah amlaem let nasoe, to tih ai nahaeloe anih loe misatukhaih ahmuen ah dueh ueloe, kalah kami mah anih ih misur thaih to caa pae ving tih.
If anyone among you has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested any grapes from it [RHQ], he should go home. If he [stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will [harvest the grapes and] enjoy [the wine made from them].
7 Nongpata maeto zu ah na hamh, toe zu haih ai kami na oh o maw? Anih loe a im ah amlaem let nasoe; to tih ai nahaeloe anih loe misatukhaih ahmuen ah dueh ueloe, kalah kami mah anih ih zu to la pae ving moeng tih, tiah thuih pae o tih.
If anyone among you has become engaged to marry a woman [but has not married her yet] [RHQ], he should go home. If [he stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will marry her.’
8 To pacoengah ukkungnawk mah minawk khaeah, Zit pongah palungboeng kami na oh o maw? Anih loe a im ah amlaem let nasoe; anih palungboeng baktih toengah angmah ih nawkamyanawk doeh palungboengsak moeng tih, tiah thui pae let bae ah.
“Then the officers must also say, ‘If anyone among you is afraid or timid [RHQ], he should go home, in order that he does not cause his fellow soldiers to also stop being courageous.’
9 Ukkungnawk mah kaminawk khaeah lokthuih boih pacoengah, kaminawk zaehhoih hanah, misatuh angraengnawk suek han angai vop.
And when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].
10 Vangpui maeto tuk han na caeh o naah, anih mah vangpui thungah kaom kaminawk khaeah angdaehhaih lok to thui tih.
“When you come near a city [that is far away] to attack it, first tell the people there that if they surrender, you will not attack them.
11 Nihcae mah angdaehhaih lok to pathim moe, thok paong o nahaeloe, to vangpui thungah kaom kaminawk boih mah nangcae han tamut paek o ueloe, na tok to sah o tih.
If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.
12 Toe nang hoi angdaehhaih sak koeh o ai moe, nangcae hoi misa angtuk hanah amsak o nahaeloe, vangpui to takui oh.
But if they refuse to [surrender] peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city [and break through the walls].
13 Na Angraeng Sithaw mah to vangpui nangcae ban ah paek naah, to vangpui thungah kaom nongpanawk to sumsen hoiah hum o boih ah;
Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.
14 toe nongpatanawk, nawktanawk hoi maitawnawk, vangpui thung ih hmuennawk boih loe, nangmacae hanah la oh; na Angraeng mah paek ih na misanawk khae hoiah na lak o ih hmuennawk to loe caa oh.
But you are allowed to take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else [that you want to take] from the city. You will be allowed to enjoy all the things that belonged to your enemies; it is Yahweh our God who has given those things to you.
15 Nangcae taengah kaom prae kaminawk ih vangpui na ai ah, nangcae hoi kangthla ah kaom vangpuinawk boih to tiah sah oh.
You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.
16 Toe na Angraeng Sithaw mah qawktoep hanah ang paek o ih prae kaminawk ih vangpui thungah loe, anghahhaih takhi tawn kami maeto doeh pathlung o hmah;
“But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].
17 na Angraeng Sithaw mah paek ih lok baktih toengah, Hit kami, Amor kami, Kanaan kami, Periz kami, Hiv kami hoi Jebus kaminawk to hum o boih ah:
You must get rid of them completely. Get rid of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group; that is what Yahweh our God commanded you to do.
18 to tih ai nahaeloe angmacae sithawnawk khaeah a sak o ih panuet thok hmuen to na patuk o ueloe, na Angraeng Sithaw hmaa ah na zae o moeng tih.
If you do not do that, they will teach you to sin against Yahweh our God and do the disgusting things that they do when they worship their gods.
19 Vangpui maeto tuk hanah kasawk parai ah na takui o nahaeloe, thingkungnawk to pakhruh o hmah; taw ah kamprawk thing loe kami hinghaih ah oh pongah, athaih khue to caa oh, vangpui takui pongah thing to pakhruh o hmah;
“When you surround a city for a long time, trying to capture it, do not cut down the fruit trees [outside the city]. You are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees, but do not get rid of the trees, because they certainly are not [RHQ] your enemies.
20 toe caak koi ai thingnawk loe pakhruh oh loe, nangcae hoi misatuh kaminawk na pazawk o ai karoek to, vangpui tuk hanah misa abuephaih to sah oh.
You are permitted to cut down the other trees and use the wood to make ladders and towers to enable you to [go over the walls and] capture the city.”
