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;

Sɛ mokɔ ɔko de tia mo atamfoɔ na mohunu apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam ne akodɔm a wɔdɔɔso sen mo a, monnsuro wɔn. Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, a ɔyii mo firii Misraim no bɛka mo ho.

2 and it has been, in your drawing near to the battle, that the priest has come near, and spoken to the people,

Sɛ morebɛkɔ ɔko a, ɔsɔfoɔ no bɛba abɛkasa akyerɛ akodɔm no.

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,

Ɔbɛka sɛ, “Montie me, mo Israel mmarima! Ɛnnɛ, morekɔ ɔsa yi, mommma mo akoma ntu! Mommma mo abasa mu mmu, na momma mo ho mpopo.

4 for your God YHWH [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you.

Na Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, na ɔne mo rekɔ. Ɔbɛko atia mo atamfoɔ no ama mo, na moadi nkonim.”

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.

Akodɔm mpanimfoɔ no bɛbisa akodɔm no sɛ, “Mo mu bi asi ɛdan foforɔ a ɔntenaa mu da? Sɛ obi wɔ ha saa a, ɔnsane nkɔ! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu na ama obi akɔtena mu!

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.

Obi wɔ ha a wadɔ bobefuo na ɔnnii mu aba da? Sɛ obi wɔ ha saa a, ɔnsane nkɔ! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu, na ama obi akɔdi mu aba.

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.

Obi wɔ ha a wagye ɔbaa bi awadeɛ? Sɛ obi wɔ ha saa a, ɔnsane nkɔ! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu, na ama obi akɔware ne siyere no.”

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.

Afei, mpanimfoɔ bɛkɔ so abisa sɛ, “Mo mu bi suro anaa nʼakoma atu? Ɛnneɛ, ɔnkɔ fie sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ne nuammarima nso akoma ntu.”

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.

Sɛ mpanimfoɔ no wie akodɔm no kasakyerɛ a, afei wɔbɛpa asahene asisi wɔn ano.

10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you have called to it for peace,

Sɛ mobɛn kuro biara a morekɔto ahyɛ wɔn so no ano a, deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, monkyerɛ nnipa no asomdwoeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ a mowɔ ma wɔn.

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.

Sɛ wɔpene mo nhyehyɛeɛ no so na wɔbue wɔn apono ma mo a, nnipa a wɔwɔ mu no nyinaa, mobɛhyɛ wɔn ama wɔasom mo.

12 And if it does not make peace with you, and has made war with you, then you have laid siege against it,

Na sɛ wɔampene asomdwoeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ no so na sɛ wɔse wɔne mo bɛko a, ɛnneɛ, monto nhyɛ kuro no so.

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.

Sɛ Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, dane kuro no hyɛ mo nsa a, monkum kuro no mu mmarima nyinaa.

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.

Nanso, ɛyɛ a momfa kuro no mu mmaa, mmɔfra, nyɛmmoa ne asadeɛ a aka nyinaa sɛ agyapadeɛ. Momfa asadeɛ no nyinaa a Awurade de ama mo no.

15 So you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.

Saa nhyɛ yi fa nkuro a ɛwɔ akyiri nko ara ho, na ɛnyɛ nkuro a ɛwɔ bɔhyɛ asase no so.

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;

Na amanaman nkuro a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapadeɛ sononko no deɛ, monsɛe biribiara a nkwa wɔ mu wɔ hɔ no.

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,

Monsɛe Hetifoɔ, Amorifoɔ, Kanaanfoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ pasaa sɛdeɛ Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, hyɛɛ mo no.

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.

Sɛ ɛba saa a, ɛremma nnipa a wɔte asase no so no nkyerɛ mo akyiwadeɛ ho amanneɛ a wɔnam so somm wɔn anyame a anka ɛbɛma mo ayɛ bɔne a emu yɛ duru atia Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, no.

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.

Sɛ moretua kuropɔn bi na ɔko no rekɔ so a, monnsɛe nnua. Monni nnuaba no na monntwitwa nnua no ngu. Nnua no nyɛ atamfoɔ a ɛsɛ sɛ moto hyɛ so!

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.”

Nanso, motumi twa nnua a monim sɛ ɛnyɛ aduane. Momfa nyɛ deɛ ɛho hia mo mfa ntua kuro no kɔsi sɛ ɛbɛdi nkoguo.