Deuteronomy 20
1 When you go to war with your enemies and you see horses and chariots, and a larger army than yours, don't be afraid of them, because the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt is with you.
“Ne mieyi aʋa, eye miekpɔ sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo wosɔ gbɔ fũu, eye miekpɔ aʋakɔ si sɔ gbɔ wu mia tɔ la, dzidzi megaƒo mi o! Yehowa, wò Mawu la, ame si kplɔ wò dedie tso Egipte la li kpli wò.
2 Before you go into battle, the priest shall come and speak to the army.
Hafi miakpe aʋa la, na nunɔla aɖe natsi tsitre ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ la ŋgɔ, eye wòagblɔ be,
3 He is to tell them, “Listen, men of Israel! Today you are going to fight your enemies. Don't be nervous or afraid; don't be panicked or terrified by them.
‘Miɖo tom, mi Israelviwo katã. Migavɔ̃ ne mieyi aʋa wɔ ge egbe o!
4 For the Lord your God is going with you to fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you the victory.”
Yehowa, mia Mawu la le yiyim kpli mi! Awɔ aʋa kple futɔ la na mi, eye wòana miaɖu dzi!’
5 The officers shall also speak to the army and tell them, “Is there any man here who has built a new house and hasn't dedicated it to the Lord? He can go home, otherwise he might die in battle and another man will dedicate it.
“Ekema aʋakplɔlawo aƒo nu na aʋawɔlawo ale: ‘Mia dometɔ aɖe tso aƒe yeye, eye mekɔ eŋuti haɖe oa? Ne ele eme nenema la, ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa akɔ wò aƒe la ŋu!
6 Is there any man here who has planted a vineyard and hasn't yet enjoyed its fruit? He can go home, otherwise he might die in battle and another man will enjoy its fruit.
Mia dometɔ aɖe de waingble yeye aɖe, eye meɖu waintsetse aɖeke tso agble la me haɖe oa? Ekema amea nayi aƒe me! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa aɖu eƒe waintsetse la!
7 Is there any man here who is engaged to a woman and hasn't married her? He can go home, otherwise he might die in battle and another man will marry her.”
Ɖe mia dometɔ aɖe bia nyɔnu ta ŋkeke siawo mea? Ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe me, eye wòaɖe nyɔnu la. Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ŋutsu bubu aɖe sãa aɖe nyɔnu si ta wòbia.
8 The officers are also to tell the army, “Is there any man here who is afraid or nervous? He can go home, so he won't affect his fellow-soldiers and make them as frightened as himself.”
Azɔ la, mia dometɔ aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ma? Ne ele vɔvɔ̃m la, ekema neyi aƒe me be màgade vɔvɔ̃ lãme na ame bubuawo o!’
9 After the officers have finished speaking to the army, they are put commanders in charge to lead it into battle.
“Ne aʋakplɔlawo wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ na ameawo nu la, woaɖe gbeƒã aʋafiawo ƒe ŋkɔwo.”
10 When you arrive at a town, ready to attack it, you must first make an offer of peace to the people living there.
“Ne èho aʋa ɖe du aɖe ŋu la, bia tso dua me tɔwo si gbã be woana ta.
11 If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates to you, all the inhabitants will become your slave-laborers.
Ne wolɔ̃ ɖe edzi, eye woʋu woƒe agbowo na wò la, ekema dua me tɔwo azu wò subɔlawo.
12 However, if they refuse to make peace with you and decide to fight you, then lay siege to the town.
Ne wogbe be yewomawɔ ŋutifafa kple wò o la, ekema ele be nàɖe to ɖe dua.
13 Once the Lord your God has handed it over to you, kill every male with the sword.
Ne Yehowa, wò Mawu la tsɔ du la de asi na wò la, ekema ele be nàwu ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe le dua me,
14 But you can take as plunder the women, children, livestock, and everything else in the town. You can take and use all your enemies' possessions the Lord your God gives you.
ke àte ŋu agblẽ nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo, lãwo kple afunyinuwo katã ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo.
15 This is the way you are to deal with all the towns that are a long way from you and don't belong to neighboring nations.
Se siawo ku ɖe du siwo mele Ŋugbedodonyigba la ŋutɔ dzi o la ŋu.
16 However, when it comes to the towns of those nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you to occupy, don't leave anything alive that breathes.
“Ke migana ame aɖeke natsi agbe le Ŋugbedodonyigba si Yehowa wò Mawu tsɔ na wò la dzi o. Na woatsrɔ̃ nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe.
17 Set them apart for complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has ordered you to do.
Na woatsrɔ̃ Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo keŋkeŋ, abe ale si Yehowa, wò Mawu la de se na wòe ene.
18 This is to prevent them teaching you all the offensive things they do in worshiping their gods, and in so doing make you sin against the Lord your God.
“Se sia ƒe taɖodzinue nye be wòana be anyigba la dzi tɔwo makplɔ mi ade woƒe legbawo subɔsubɔ kple woƒe kɔnyinyi vɔ̃ɖiwo me, eye miato esiawo me awɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa, wò Mawu la ŋu o.
19 Now when you lay siege to a town and it goes on for a long time as you fight to capture it, don't destroy the fruit trees there. You can eat their fruit. Don't cut them down. Are the trees in the orchard human beings that you should also attack?
“Ne èɖe to ɖe du aɖe la, mègagblẽ woƒe kutsetsetiwo o. Na miaɖu kutsetse siwo miate ŋui. Mègana woatso atiawo ƒu anyi dzodzro o. Atiawo menye futɔwo, eye wòle be nàna woatsrɔ̃ wo o!
20 However, you may destroy the trees that you know are not fruit trees. You can use them to build siege equipment to attack the town that is fighting against you until it falls.
Ke tso ati siwo ƒe kutsetsewo womeɖuna o la ƒu anyi; woatsɔ wo awɔ atrakpuiwo kple nu siwo ŋu dɔ nàwɔ le aʋa la wɔwɔ me.”
