Deuteronomy 20
1 When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
“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 And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
Hafi miakpe aʋa la, na nunɔla aɖe natsi tsitre ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ la ŋgɔ, eye wòagblɔ be,
3 and shall say unto them: 'Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed, neither be ye affrighted at them;
‘Miɖo tom, mi Israelviwo katã. Migavɔ̃ ne mieyi aʋa wɔ ge egbe o!
4 for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'
Yehowa, mia Mawu la le yiyim kpli mi! Awɔ aʋa kple futɔ la na mi, eye wòana miaɖu dzi!’
5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying: 'What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man 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 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof.
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 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take 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 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say: 'What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart.'
Azɔ la, mia dometɔ aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ma? Ne ele vɔvɔ̃m la, ekema neyi aƒe me be màgade vɔvɔ̃ lãme na ame bubuawo o!’
9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that captains of hosts shall be appointed at the head of the people.
“Ne aʋakplɔlawo wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ na ameawo nu la, woaɖe gbeƒã aʋafiawo ƒe ŋkɔwo.”
10 When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
“Ne èho aʋa ɖe du aɖe ŋu la, bia tso dua me tɔwo si gbã be woana ta.
11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee.
Ne wolɔ̃ ɖe edzi, eye woʋu woƒe agbowo na wò la, ekema dua me tɔwo azu wò subɔlawo.
12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it.
Ne wogbe be yewomawɔ ŋutifafa kple wò o la, ekema ele be nàɖe to ɖe dua.
13 And when the LORD thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of 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 the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
ke àte ŋu agblẽ nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo, lãwo kple afunyinuwo katã ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Se siawo ku ɖe du siwo mele Ŋugbedodonyigba la ŋutɔ dzi o la ŋu.
16 Howbeit of the cities of these peoples, that the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth,
“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 but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee;
Na woatsrɔ̃ Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo keŋkeŋ, abe ale si Yehowa, wò Mawu la de se na wòe ene.
18 that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, and so ye 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 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee?
“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 Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.
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.”
