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.
Cuando salgas a la guerra contra tus enemigos, y veas caballos, carruajes y gente más numerosa que tú, no les temas, porque Yavé tu ʼElohim, Quien te sacó de la tierra de Egipto, está contigo.
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:
Cuando se acerquen para combatir, el sacerdote se pondrá en pie y hablará al pueblo,
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.
y les dirá: Escucha, oh Israel: Hoy ustedes se acercan a presentar batalla contra sus enemigos. No desmaye su corazón. No teman, ni se turben, ni tiemblen ante ellos,
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.’
porque Yavé su ʼElohim va con ustedes para combatir por ustedes contra sus enemigos y para darles la victoria.
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.
Los oficiales hablarán al pueblo: ¿Quién edificó una casa y no la estrenó? Retírese y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y la estrene otro.
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.
¿Quien plantó una viña y no disfrutó de ella? Retírese y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y la disfrute otro.
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.’
¿Quién está comprometido con una mujer, y aún no la tomó? Que se retire y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla y algún otro la tome.
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.’
Los oficiales volverán a hablar al pueblo: ¿Quién siente temor y está acobardado? Que se retire y vuelva a su casa, no sea que su cobardía desanime el corazón de sus hermanos.
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.
Cuando los oficiales terminen de hablar al pueblo, designarán a los comandantes de los ejércitos que dirigirán al pueblo.
10 When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.
Cuando te acerques para atacar una ciudad, le ofrecerás condiciones de paz.
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.
Si te responde con paz y se abre a ti, todos sus habitantes te servirán en trabajos forzados.
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.
Pero si no acepta tu propuesta de paz y emprende guerra contra ti, entonces la sitiarás.
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,
Cuando Yavé tu ʼElohim la entregue en tu mano, matarás a todos sus varones a filo de espada.
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.
Tomarás para ti las mujeres, los niños, el ganado y todo lo que hay en la ciudad, todo su botín. Te alimentarás del botín de tus enemigos, los cuales Yavé tu ʼElohim te entregó.
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.
Así harás a todas las ciudades que estén muy lejos de ti, que no sean de las ciudades de estas naciones.
16 But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.
Pero de las ciudades de estos pueblos que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como herencia, no dejarás con vida a ninguna persona.
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.
Destruirás por completo al heteo, al amorreo, al cananeo, al ferezeo, al heteo y al jebuseo, como Yavé tu ʼElohim te mandó,
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.
para que no les enseñen a hacer todas las repugnancias que ellos hicieron a sus ʼelohim, y ustedes pequen contra Yavé su ʼElohim.
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.
Cuando sities una ciudad largo tiempo antes de hacer guerra contra ella a fin de capturarla, no destruyas con el hacha su arboleda, porque puedes comer de ella. No la cortes, porque ¿es el árbol del campo un hombre para que sea sitiado por ti?
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.”
Solo podrás destruir y cortar el árbol del cual tú sabes que no es frutal, para construir con él obras de asedio contra la ciudad que te hace la guerra, hasta que caiga.
