Deuteronomy 20
1 “When you go out to battle against your enemy, and have seen horse and chariot—a people more numerous than you—you are not afraid of them, for your God YHWH [is] with you, who is bringing you 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 has been, in your drawing near to the battle, that the priest has come near, and spoken to the people,
Hafi miakpe aʋa la, na nunɔla aɖe natsi tsitre ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ la ŋgɔ, eye wòagblɔ be,
3 and said to them, Hear, O Israel: You are drawing near today to battle against your enemies, do not let your hearts be tender, do not fear, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence,
‘Miɖo tom, mi Israelviwo katã. Migavɔ̃ ne mieyi aʋa wɔ ge egbe o!
4 for your God YHWH [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with 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 authorities have spoken to the people, saying, Who [is] the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in 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 who [is] the man that has planted a vineyard and has not made it common? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.
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 who [is] the man that has betrothed a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in 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 authorities have added to speak to the people and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart? Let him go and return to his house, and the heart of his brothers does not melt like 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 has come to pass, as the authorities finish to speak to the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.
“Ne aʋakplɔlawo wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ na ameawo nu la, woaɖe gbeƒã aʋafiawo ƒe ŋkɔwo.”
10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you have called to it for peace,
“Ne èho aʋa ɖe du aɖe ŋu la, bia tso dua me tɔwo si gbã be woana ta.
11 and it has been, if it answers you [with] peace, and has opened to you, then it has come to pass, all the people who are found in it are for tributaries to you, and have served you.
Ne wolɔ̃ ɖe edzi, eye woʋu woƒe agbowo na wò la, ekema dua me tɔwo azu wò subɔlawo.
12 And if it does not make peace with you, and has made war with you, then you have laid siege against it,
Ne wogbe be yewomawɔ ŋutifafa kple wò o la, ekema ele be nàɖe to ɖe dua.
13 and your God YHWH has given it into your hand, and you have struck every male of it by the mouth 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 Only, the women, and the infants, and the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you seize for yourself, and you have eaten the spoil of your enemies which your God YHWH has given to you.
ke àte ŋu agblẽ nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo, lãwo kple afunyinuwo katã ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo.
15 So you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Se siawo ku ɖe du siwo mele Ŋugbedodonyigba la ŋutɔ dzi o la ŋu.
16 Only, of the cities of these peoples which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance, you do not keep alive any [that are] breathing;
“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 for you certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as your God YHWH has commanded you,
Na woatsrɔ̃ Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo keŋkeŋ, abe ale si Yehowa, wò Mawu la de se na wòe ene.
18 so that they do not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you have sinned against your God YHWH.
“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 you lay siege to a city [for] many days to fight against it, to capture it, you do not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for you eat of them, and you do not cut them down—for the tree of the field [is] man’s—to go in at your presence in the siege.
“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 tree of which you know that it [is] not a fruit-tree, you destroy it, and have cut [it] down, and have built a bulwark against the city which is making war with you until you have subdued it.”
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.”
