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;
Cuando salgas a la batalla contra tus enemigos, y veas caballos, carros y un pueblo más numeroso que tú, no los temerás, porque el Señor, tu Dios, que te sacó de la tierra de Egipto, está contigo.
2 and it has been, in your drawing near to the battle, that the priest has come near, and spoken to the people,
Cuando te acerques a la batalla, el sacerdote se acercará y hablará al pueblo,
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,
y les dirá: “Escucha, Israel, hoy te acercas a la batalla contra tus enemigos. No dejes que tu corazón desfallezca. No temas, ni tiembles, ni te asustes de ellos;
4 for your God YHWH [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you.
porque Yahvé, tu Dios, es el que va contigo, para luchar por ti contra tus enemigos, para salvarte.”
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.
Los oficiales hablarán al pueblo diciendo: “¿Qué hombre hay que haya construido una casa nueva y no la haya dedicado? Que vaya y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro hombre la dedique.
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.
¿Qué hombre ha plantado una viña y no ha aprovechado sus frutos? Que se vaya y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro hombre use su fruto.
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.
¿Qué hombre hay que haya prometido casarse con una mujer y no la haya tomado? Que vaya y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro hombre la tome”.
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.
Los oficiales seguirán hablando con el pueblo, y dirán: “¿Qué hombre hay temeroso y pusilánime? Que se vaya y vuelva a su casa, no sea que el corazón de su hermano se derrita como su corazón.”
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.
Cuando los oficiales hayan terminado de hablar al pueblo, nombrarán a los capitanes de los ejércitos al frente del pueblo.
10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you have called to it for peace,
Cuando os acerquéis a una ciudad para combatirla, proclamadle la paz.
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.
Si os da respuesta de paz y os abre, todo el pueblo que se encuentre en ella se convertirá en trabajadores forzados para vosotros y os servirá.
12 And if it does not make peace with you, and has made war with you, then you have laid siege against it,
Si no hace la paz contigo, sino que te hace la guerra, entonces la sitiarás.
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.
Cuando el Señor, tu Dios, la entregue en tu mano, herirás a todo varón de ella a filo de espada;
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.
pero las mujeres, los niños, el ganado y todo lo que haya en la ciudad, incluso todo su botín, lo tomarás como botín para ti. Podrás usar el botín de tus enemigos, que el Señor tu Dios te ha dado.
15 So you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Así harás con todas las ciudades que están muy lejos de ti, que no son de las ciudades de estos pueblos.
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;
Pero de las ciudades de estos pueblos que Yahvé vuestro Dios te da en herencia, no salvarás con vida a nada que respire;
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,
sino que las destruirás por completo: al hitita, al amorreo, al cananeo, al ferezeo, al heveo y al jebuseo, como Yahvé vuestro Dios te ha mandado;
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.
para que no te enseñen a seguir todas sus abominaciones, que han hecho para sus dioses; así pecarías contra Yahvé vuestro Dios.
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.
Cuando asedies una ciudad por largo tiempo, haciendo guerra contra ella para tomarla, no destruirás sus árboles blandiendo un hacha contra ellos, porque podrás comer de ellos. No los cortarás, porque ¿es hombre el árbol del campo, para que sea asediado por ti?
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.”
Sólo los árboles que sepas que no son árboles para comer, los destruirás y los cortarás. Construirás baluartes contra la ciudad que te haga la guerra, hasta que caiga.
