5 Mosebog 20
1 Naar du uddrager til Krig imod din Fjende, og du ser Heste og Vogne, ja Folk, flere end du, da skal du ikke frygte for dem; thi Herren din Gud er med dig, han, som førte dig op af Ægyptens Land.
“If you go out to battle against your enemies, and you see horsemen and chariots, and that the multitude of your adversary’s army is greater than your own, you shall not fear them. For the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 Og det skal ske, naar I nærme eder Striden, da skal Præsten gaa frem og tale til Folket.
Then, as the battle now draws near, the priest shall stand before the front ranks, and he shall speak to the people in this manner:
3 Og han skal sige til dem: Hør, Israel! I nærme eder i Dag til Striden imod eders Fjender, lader eders Hjerte ikke blive modløst, frygter ikke og forfærdes ikke og gruer ikke for deres Ansigt!
‘Listen, O Israel! Today you engage in a battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be overwhelmed with fear. Do not be apprehensive. Do not yield. You should have no dread of them.
4 Thi Herren eders Gud er den, som gaar med eder, at stride for eder imod eders Fjender for at frelse eder.
For the Lord your God is in your midst, and he will contend against your enemies on your behalf, so that he may rescue you from peril.’
5 Men Fogederne skulle tale til Folket og sige: Er der en Mand, som har bygget et nyt Hus og ikke indviet det, han gaa hen og vende tilbage til sit Hus, at han ikke skal dø i Krigen, og en anden Mand skal indvie det.
Likewise, the officers shall proclaim, throughout every company, in the hearing of the soldiers: ‘What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may dedicate it.
6 Og er der en Mand, som har plantet en Vingaard og ikke nydt Frugten af den, han gaa hen og vende tilbage til sit Hus, at han ikke skal dø i Krigen, og en anden Mand skal nyde den første Frugt af den.
What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet caused it to be common, so that all may eat from it? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may carry out his office.
7 Og er der en Mand, som har trolovet sig en Hustru og ikke har taget hende til Ægte, han gaa hen og vende tilbage til sit Hus, at han ikke skal dø i Krigen, og en anden Mand skal tage hende.
What man is there, who has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in battle, and another man may take her.’
8 Og Fogederne skulle blive ved at tale til Folket og sige: Er der en Mand, som er frygtagtig og blødhjertet, han gaa hen og vende tilbage til sit Hus, at han ikke skal gøre sine Brødres Hjerte mistrøstigt, som hans eget Hjerte er.
After these things have been declared, they shall add the remainder, and shall say to the people: ‘What man is there who is overwhelmed by fear and is fainthearted? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he cause the hearts of his brothers to fear, just as he himself has been thoroughly stricken with fear.’
9 Og det skal ske, naar Fogederne have endt at tale til Folket, da skulle de beskikke Hærførere i Spidsen for Folket.
And when the officers of the army have become silent, and have completed their speech, each one shall prepare his unit to wage war.
10 Naar du nærmer dig til en Stad til at stride imod den, da skal du tilbyde den Fred.
When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.
11 Og det skal ske, om den svarer dig fredelig og lader op for dig, da skal alt det Folk, som findes i den, være dig skatskyldigt og tjene dig.
If they receive it, and open the gates to you, then all the people who are in it shall be saved, and they shall serve you by paying tribute.
12 Men dersom den ikke vil gøre Fred med dig, men føre Krig imod dig, da skal du belejre den.
But if they are not willing to enter into an agreement, and they begin to act against you in warfare, then you shall besiege it.
13 Og Herren din Gud skal give den i din Haand, og du skal slaa alt Mandkøn i den med skarpe Sværd.
And when the Lord your God will have delivered it into your hands, you shall strike down anyone who is in it, of the male gender, with the edge of the sword,
14 Kun Kvinderne og de smaa Børn og Kvæget og alt det, som er i Staden, alt Byttet deraf maa du røve for dig, og du skal nyde dine Fjenders Bytte, som Herren din Gud har givet dig.
but not the women and young children, nor the cattle and the other things that are within the city. And you shall divide all the plunder to the soldiers, and you shall eat the spoils from your enemies, which the Lord your God will give to you.
15 Saaledes skal du gøre mod alle Stæderne, som ere saare langt fra dig, og som ikke ere af disse Hedningers Stæder.
So shall you do to all the cities which are at a great distance from you, those which are not among the cities that you shall receive as a possession.
16 Kun i disse Folks Stæder, som Herren din Gud giver dig til Arv, skal du ikke lade leve noget, som drager Aande.
But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.
17 Thi du skal bandlyse dem, nemlig Hethiterne og Amoriterne, Kananiterne og Feresiterne, Heviterne og Jebusiterne, som Herren din Gud har budet dig,
Instead, you shall put them to death with the edge of the sword, specifically: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
18 paa det at de ikke skulle lære eder at gøre efter alle deres Vederstyggeligheder, som de have gjort for deres Guder, og I skulle synde mod Herren eders Gud.
Otherwise, they may teach you to do all the abominations which they have committed for their own gods. And then you would sin against the Lord your God.
19 Naar du belejrer en Stad mange Dage og strider imod den for at indtage den, da skal du ikke ødelægge dens Træer ved at hugge ned paa dem med Øksen, thi du skal æde af dem og ikke afhugge dem; thi mon Markens Træer ere Mennesker, som af dig skulle belejres?
When you will have besieged a city for a long time, and you will have encircled it with fortifications, so that you may fight against it, you shall not cut down trees from which one is able to eat, neither shall you cause devastation with axes to the surrounding region. For it is a tree, and not a man. It is not able to increase the number of those who are fighting against you.
20 Kun de Træer, som du ved om, at det ikke er Frugttræer, dem maa du ødelægge og afhugge, at du kan bygge Bolværk imod Staden, som fører Krig imod dig, indtil den falder.
But if there are any trees which are not fruitful, but are wild, and if these are fit for other uses, then cut them down, and make machines, until you have captured the city that is contending against you.”
