Deuteronomy 20
1 “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.
Naar du drager i Krig mod din Fjende og faar Øje paa Heste, Vogne og Krigsfolk, der er talrigere end du selv, skal du ikke blive bange for dem; thi HERREN din Gud er med dig, han, som førte dig op fra Ægypten.
2 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:
Naar I rykker ud til Kamp, skal Præsten træde frem og tale til Folket,
3 ‘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.
og han skal sige til dem: »Hør, Israel! I rykker i Dag ud til Kamp mod eders Fjender, lad ikke eders Hjerte være forsagt, frygt ikke, forfærdes ikke og vær ikke bange for dem!
4 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.’
Thi HERREN eders Gud drager med eder for at stride for eder mod eders Fjender og give eder Sejr.«
5 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.
Og Tilsynsmændene skal tale saaledes til Folket: »Er der nogen, som har bygget et nyt Hus og endnu ikke indviet det, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal indvie det, om han falder i Slaget.
6 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.
Og er der nogen, som har plantet en Vingaard og ikke taget den i Brug, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal tage den i Brug, om han falder i Slaget.
7 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.’
Og er der nogen, som har trolovet sig med en Kvinde, men endnu ikke taget hende til Hustru, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal tage hende til Hustru, om han falder i Slaget.«
8 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.’
Og Tilsynsmændene skal fremdeles tale til Folket og sige: »Er der nogen, som er bange og forsagt, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke hans Brødre skal blive forsagte, som han selv er det!«
9 And when the officers of the army have become silent, and have completed their speech, each one shall prepare his unit to wage war.
Naar saa Tilsynsmændene er færdige med at tale til Folket, skal der sættes Høvedsmænd i Spidsen for Folket.
10 When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.
Naar du rykker frem til Angreb paa en By, skal du først tilbyde den Fred.
11 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.
Hvis den da tager mod Fredstilbudet og aabner sine Porte for dig, skal alle Folk, som findes i den, være dine livegne og trælle for dig.
12 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.
Vil den derimod ikke slutte Fred, men kæmpe med dig, da skal du belejre den,
13 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,
og naar HERREN din Gud giver den i din Haand, skal du hugge alle af Mandkøn ned med Sværdet.
14 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.
Men Kvinderne, Børnene, Kvæget og alt, hvad der er i Byen, alt, hvad der røves i den, maa du tage som Bytte, og du maa gøre dig til gode med det, som røves fra dine Fjender, hvad HERREN din Gud giver dig.
15 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.
Saaledes skal du bære dig ad med alle de Byer, som ligger langt fra dig og ikke hører til disse Folkeslags Byer her;
16 But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.
men i disse Folks Byer, som HERREN din Gud giver dig i Eje, maa du ikke lade en eneste Sjæl i Live.
17 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.
Paa dem skal du lægge Band, paa Hetiterne, Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Perizziterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne, som HERREN din Gud har paalagt dig,
18 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.
for at de ikke skal lære eder at efterligne alle deres Vederstyggeligheder, som de øver til Ære for deres Guder, saa I forsynder eder mod HERREN eders Gud.
19 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.
Naar du ved Belejringen af en By maa holde den indesluttet i lang Tid for at indtage den, maa du ikke ødelægge de Træer, der hører til den, ved at svinge Øksen imod dem; fra dem faar du Føde; dem maa du ikke hugge om; thi mon Markens Træer er Mennesker, at de ogsaa skulde rammes af Belejringen?
20 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.”
Kun Træer, du ved, ikke bærer spiselig Frugt, maa du ødelægge og fælde for at bygge Belejringsværker mod den By, som er i Krig med dig, til den falder.
