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;
Pindi utokapo kwenda vitani kupigana dhidi ya adui zako, na kuona farasi, magari, na watu wengi zaidi kuliko wewe, haupaswi kuwaogopa; kwa kuwa Yahwe Mungu wako yu pamoja nawe, yeye aliyekuleta kutoka nchi ya Misri.
2 and it has been, in your drawing near to the battle, that the priest has come near, and spoken to the people,
Wakati unakaribia kuingia kwenye vita, kuhani anapaswa kuwasogelea na kuongea na watu.
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,
Anapaswa kuwaambia,”Sikilizeni, Israel, mnaenda kupigana dhidi ya maadui zenu. Msidhofishe moyo wenu. Msiohofu au kutetemeka. Msiwaogope.
4 for your God YHWH [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you.
Kwa kuwa Yahwe Mungu wenu ndiye aendae pamoja nanyi kupigana kwa ajili yenu dhidi ya maadui zenu na kuwaokoa.
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.
Maakida wanapaswa kuzungumza na watu na kusema, “Ni mtu yupi aliyejenga nyumba mpya na hajaiweka wakfu? Acha aende na arudi nyumbani kwake, ili kwamba asife vitani na mtu mwingine aiweke wakfu.
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.
Kuna yeyote ambaye amepanda mzabibu na hajafurahia matunda yake? Acha aende nyumbani, ili kwamba asife vitani na mtu mwingine afurahie matunda yake.
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.
Ni mtu yupi aliyeposa kuoa mwanamke lakini bado hajamuoa? Acha aende nyumbani ili kwamba asife vitani na mume mwingine amuoa.”
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.
Maakida wanapaswa kuzungumza zaidi kwa watu na kusema, “Ni mwanaume gani aliye hapa ambaye ni mwenye hofu au mnyonge? Acha aende na arudi nyumbani kwake, ili kwamba moyo wa ndugu yake usiyeyuke kama moyo wake.
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.
Wakati maakida wamemaliza kuzungumza na watu, wanapaswa kuteua majemedari juu yao.
10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you have called to it for peace,
Wakati mtokapo kuteka mji, wafanye watu hao toleo la amani.
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.
Kama watapokea amani na kufungua malango yao kwako, watu wote wanaopatikana ndani yake wanapaswa kulazimishwa kukufanyia kazi na wanapaswa kukutumikia.
12 And if it does not make peace with you, and has made war with you, then you have laid siege against it,
Lakini kama haitengenezi amani kwenu, lakani badala yake inatengeneza vita dhidi yenu, basi mnapaswa kumruhusu,
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.
na wakati Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa ushindi na kuwaweka chini ya utawala wenu, mnapaswa kuua kila mtu katika mji.
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.
Lakini wanawake, wadogo, ng'ombe, na kila kitu kilicho ndani ya mji, na nyara zake zote, utavichukua kama mateka yako. Nawe utawamaliza mateka wa maadui zako, ambao Yahwe Mungu amekupa.
15 So you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Unapaswa kuifanyia hivyo kuelekea miji yote ambayo iko mbali nawe, miji ambayo siyo miji ya mataifa yafuatayo.
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;
Katika miji ya watu hawa ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi, mnapaswa kutunza chochote kilicho na uhai.
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,
Badala yake, mnapaswa kabisa kuagamiza: Hittite, na Amorite, Wakanani, Waperezi, Hivite, na Wabusi, kama Yahwe Mungu wenu alivyowaamuru.
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.
Fanya hivi ili kwamba wasiwafundishe kufanya katika njia za machukizo, kama walivyofanya kwa miungu yao. Kama mtafanya, mtafanya dhambi dhidi ya Yahwe Mungu wenu.
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.
Wakati mtakapouzingira mji kwa muda mrefu, huku mkipigana dhidi yake kuuteka, hampaswi kuharibu miti yake kwa kushika shoka dhidi yake. Kwa kuwa utaweza kula matunda yake, kwa hiyo usiikate. Kwa maana mti wa kondeni mtu ambaye atauzingira?
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.”
Ila miti ambayo unaijua siyo miti ya chakula, unaweza kuharibu na kuikata chini; utajenga maburuji dhidi ya mji unaofanya vita nawe, mpaka uanguke.
