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.
Selanjutnya Musa mengajar umat Israel, “Ketika kalian pergi berperang lalu melihat kuda, kereta perang, dan pasukan musuh yang jumlahnya lebih banyak daripada kalian, jangan takut! Ketahuilah bahwa TUHAN Allah yang membawa kita keluar dari Mesir akan menyertai kalian semua.
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:
Sebelum kalian maju berperang, seorang imam harus memberikan pidato penyemangat,
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.
‘Hai orang Israel, dengarkanlah! Hari ini kalian akan berperang melawan musuh. Janganlah berkecil hati. Jangan takut, panik, atau gentar melawan mereka,
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.’
karena TUHAN Allah kita akan menyertai kalian. Dia akan melawan musuh dan membuat kalian menang.’
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.
“Kemudian para komandan harus berkata kepada tentara mereka, ‘Jika ada di antara kalian yang baru saja membangun rumah dan belum mengadakan acara syukuran, dia boleh pulang. Jangan sampai dia tewas dalam perang sehingga orang lain yang meresmikan dan memiliki rumah tersebut.
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.
Jika ada di antara kalian yang menanam kebun anggur dan belum memanennya, dia boleh pulang. Jangan sampai dia tewas dalam perang dan orang lain menikmati hasil pertama dari kebun itu.
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.’
Jika ada di antara kalian yang sudah bertunangan dengan seorang perempuan tetapi belum sempat menikahinya, dia boleh pulang. Jangan sampai dia tewas dalam perang dan orang lain menikahi calon istrinya itu.’
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.’
“Terakhir, para komandan harus berkata, ‘Jika ada di antara kalian yang takut dan berkecil hati, dia boleh pulang. Jangan sampai dia mempengaruhi pasukan lainnya untuk menjadi takut juga.’
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.
Sesudah berbicara dengan pasukan mereka, para komandan akan mengangkat kepala-kepala regu.
10 When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.
“Ketika kalian hendak menyerang sebuah kota yang jauh dan tidak termasuk wilayah yang sebentar lagi TUHAN berikan kepada bangsa Israel, tawarkanlah kepada penduduk kota itu kesempatan untuk boleh tetap hidup kalau mau menerima sejumlah syarat dan menyerah. Jika mereka setuju dan membuka gerbang kota, mereka akan menjadi pekerja paksa bagi kalian. Namun, jika mereka menolak tawaran itu dan malah bersiap untuk bertempur, kepunglah kota itu dan teroboslah masuk ke dalam. Saat TUHAN memampukan kalian menaklukkan kota itu, bunuhlah semua laki-laki di sana. Tetapi para perempuan, anak-anak, ternak, dan segala macam jarahan dari kota itu boleh kalian ambil. Dengan demikian, harta milik musuh itu sudah diberikan TUHAN untuk menjadi kepunyaanmu. “Peraturan itu berlaku untuk kota-kota yang jauh dan tidak termasuk kota milik bangsa-bangsa yang sekarang mendiami negeri Kanaan, yang sebentar lagi TUHAN berikan kepada kalian.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
16 But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.
Untuk kota-kota yang termasuk wilayah Kanaan, musnahkan semua manusia dan binatang di dalamnya.
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.
TUHAN sudah menentukan bangsa Het, Amori, Kanaan, Feris, Hewi, dan Yebus untuk dimusnahkan. Kalian harus menghabisi mereka semua.
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.
Jika tidak, mereka akan mempengaruhi kalian untuk melakukan hal-hal menjijikkan yang mereka lakukan ketika menyembah dewa-dewa mereka, sehingga kalian terjerumus dalam dosa terhadap TUHAN Allah kita.
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.
“Ketika kalian berusaha menaklukkan suatu kota dan sedang mengepungnya untuk waktu lama, janganlah menebang pohon buah-buahan yang ada di sekelilingnya. Buat apa menyerang pohon buah yang tidak bersalah? Biarkan saja, justru kalian bisa memakan buahnya.
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.”
Akan tetapi, pohon-pohon yang tidak menghasilkan makanan boleh kalian tebang. Pakailah kayunya untuk membuat tangga dan alat-alat perang yang bisa membantu kalian menerobos tembok kota itu dan menaklukkannya.”
