Deuteronomy 20
1 When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
Pamene mukupita kokachita nkhondo ndi adani anu, mukaona akavalo kapena magaleta kapena gulu la ankhondo kuposa inuyo musamaope chifukwa Yehova Mulungu wanu, amene anakutulutsani ku Igupto adzakhala nanu.
2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,
Pamene mwatsala pangʼono kuyamba nkhondo, wansembe azibwera kutsogolo ndipo aziyankhula ku gulu lonse lankhondolo.
3 saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
Iye aziti, “Tamverani inu Aisraeli, mukupita kukachita nkhondo ndi adani anu lero. Musataye mitima kapena kuchita mantha ayi. Musaopsedwe kapena kunjenjemera pamaso pawo,
4 For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
pakuti Yehova Mulungu wanu ndiye amene apite nanu kukakumenyerani nkhondo ndi kugonjetsa adani anu.”
5 Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Akuluakulu ankhondo adzati kwa gulu la ankhondolo, “Kodi pali wina amene wangomanga nyumba kumene ndipo sanayitsekulire? Ayambe wapita ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondoko ndipo wina ndi kudzayitsekulira.
6 Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
Kodi pali wina amene analima munda wamphesa ndipo sanayambe kudyerera? Ayambe wapita ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondo ndipo wina adzadyerera mundawo.
7 Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
Kodi pali amene wachita chinkhoswe ndi mkazi ndipo sanamukwatire mkaziyo? Ayambe wabwerera ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondo ndipo wina adzakwatira mkaziyo.”
8 Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
Ndipo akuluakulu ankhondowo akapitirize kuti, “Kodi pali amene akuchita mantha kapena kutaya mtima? Abwerere ku mudzi kuopa kuti abale ake angatayenso mtima.”
9 When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
Akuluakuluwo akatsiriza kuyankhula ndi gulu la ankhondolo, adzasankhe olilamulira.
10 When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.
Pamene mukuyandikira kuphwanya mzinda, muyambe mwafunsa anthu a mu mzindawo ngati afuna zamtendere.
11 If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
Akavomera natsekula zipata zawo, anthu wonse mu mzindawo adzagwidwa ukapolo nakugwirirani ntchito.
12 But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.
Koma akakana za mtendere nachita nanu nkhondo, muwuphwanye mzindawo.
13 When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.
Yehova Mulungu wanu akakupatsani mzindawo, muwaphe amuna onse.
14 But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
Akazi, ana, ziweto ndi china chilichonse mu mzindamo, mukhoza kuzitenga kuti zikhale zanu monga katundu wolanda ku nkhondo. Katundu wa adani anuyu amene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani, mukhoza kumugwiritsa ntchito.
15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
Mizinda yonse yakutali osati ya mitundu yapafupi, muzichita nayo chomwechi.
16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
Komabe mʼmizinda imene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa chanu, musasiyemo chamoyo chilichonse.
17 For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
Muwawononge kwathunthu Ahiti, Aamori, Akanaani, Aperezi, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi monga momwe Yehova Mulungu wanu anakulamulirani.
18 so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
Mukapanda kutero adzakuphunzitsani kuti mutengere zinthu zonyansa zimene amachita popembedza milungu yawo ndipo mudzachimwira Yehova Mulungu wanu.
19 When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
Mukalimbana ndi mzinda nthawi yayitali, kuchita nawo nkhondo pofuna kuwugonjetsa, musawononge podula mitengo yake ndi nkhwangwa, osayidula chifukwa zipatso zakezo mukhoza kudya. Kodi mitengo ya ku munda ndi anthu kuti mukalimbane nayo?
20 But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Komabe mukhoza kudula mitengo imene mukudziwa kuti si ya zipatso ndi kuyigwiritsa ntchito pa nkhondo mpaka mzinda umene mukumenyana nawowo utagwetsedwa.
