Deuteronomy 20
1 “When your [soldiers] go to fight your enemies, and you see that they have many horses and chariots and that their army is much bigger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God, who brought your [ancestors safely] out of Egypt, will be with you.
Pamene mukupita kokachita nkhondo ndi adani anu, mukaona akavalo kapena magaleta kapena gulu la ankhondo kuposa inuyo musamaope chifukwa Yehova Mulungu wanu, amene anakutulutsani ku Igupto adzakhala nanu.
2 When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.
Pamene mwatsala pangʼono kuyamba nkhondo, wansembe azibwera kutsogolo ndipo aziyankhula ku gulu lonse lankhondolo.
3 He must say to them, ‘You Israeli men, listen to me! Today you are going to fight against your enemies. Do not be timid or afraid [DOU] or tremble or panic [DOU],
Iye aziti, “Tamverani inu Aisraeli, mukupita kukachita nkhondo ndi adani anu lero. Musataye mitima kapena kuchita mantha ayi. Musaopsedwe kapena kunjenjemera pamaso pawo,
4 because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’
pakuti Yehova Mulungu wanu ndiye amene apite nanu kukakumenyerani nkhondo ndi kugonjetsa adani anu.”
5 Then the army officers must say to the troops, ‘If anyone among you has just built a new house [RHQ] and has not dedicated it [to God], he should go home [and dedicate the house]. If he does not do that, if he dies in the battle, someone else will dedicate the house [and live in it].
Akuluakulu ankhondo adzati kwa gulu la ankhondolo, “Kodi pali wina amene wangomanga nyumba kumene ndipo sanayitsekulire? Ayambe wapita ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondoko ndipo wina ndi kudzayitsekulira.
6 If anyone among you has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested any grapes from it [RHQ], he should go home. If he [stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will [harvest the grapes and] enjoy [the wine made from them].
Kodi pali wina amene analima munda wamphesa ndipo sanayambe kudyerera? Ayambe wapita ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondo ndipo wina adzadyerera mundawo.
7 If anyone among you has become engaged to marry a woman [but has not married her yet] [RHQ], he should go home. If [he stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will marry her.’
Kodi pali amene wachita chinkhoswe ndi mkazi ndipo sanamukwatire mkaziyo? Ayambe wabwerera ku mudzi chifukwa mwina akafera ku nkhondo ndipo wina adzakwatira mkaziyo.”
8 “Then the officers must also say, ‘If anyone among you is afraid or timid [RHQ], he should go home, in order that he does not cause his fellow soldiers to also stop being courageous.’
Ndipo akuluakulu ankhondowo akapitirize kuti, “Kodi pali amene akuchita mantha kapena kutaya mtima? Abwerere ku mudzi kuopa kuti abale ake angatayenso mtima.”
9 And when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].
Akuluakuluwo akatsiriza kuyankhula ndi gulu la ankhondolo, adzasankhe olilamulira.
10 “When you come near a city [that is far away] to attack it, first tell the people there that if they surrender, you will not attack them.
Pamene mukuyandikira kuphwanya mzinda, muyambe mwafunsa anthu a mu mzindawo ngati afuna zamtendere.
11 If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.
Akavomera natsekula zipata zawo, anthu wonse mu mzindawo adzagwidwa ukapolo nakugwirirani ntchito.
12 But if they refuse to [surrender] peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city [and break through the walls].
Koma akakana za mtendere nachita nanu nkhondo, muwuphwanye mzindawo.
13 Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.
Yehova Mulungu wanu akakupatsani mzindawo, muwaphe amuna onse.
14 But you are allowed to take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else [that you want to take] from the city. You will be allowed to enjoy all the things that belonged to your enemies; it is Yahweh our God who has given those things to you.
Akazi, ana, ziweto ndi china chilichonse mu mzindamo, mukhoza kuzitenga kuti zikhale zanu monga katundu wolanda ku nkhondo. Katundu wa adani anuyu amene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani, mukhoza kumugwiritsa ntchito.
15 You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.
Mizinda yonse yakutali osati ya mitundu yapafupi, muzichita nayo chomwechi.
16 “But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].
Komabe mʼmizinda imene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa chanu, musasiyemo chamoyo chilichonse.
17 You must get rid of them completely. Get rid of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group; that is what Yahweh our God commanded you to do.
Muwawononge kwathunthu Ahiti, Aamori, Akanaani, Aperezi, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi monga momwe Yehova Mulungu wanu anakulamulirani.
18 If you do not do that, they will teach you to sin against Yahweh our God and do the disgusting things that they do when they worship their gods.
Mukapanda kutero adzakuphunzitsani kuti mutengere zinthu zonyansa zimene amachita popembedza milungu yawo ndipo mudzachimwira Yehova Mulungu wanu.
19 “When you surround a city for a long time, trying to capture it, do not cut down the fruit trees [outside the city]. You are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees, but do not get rid of the trees, because they certainly are not [RHQ] your enemies.
Mukalimbana ndi mzinda nthawi yayitali, kuchita nawo nkhondo pofuna kuwugonjetsa, musawononge podula mitengo yake ndi nkhwangwa, osayidula chifukwa zipatso zakezo mukhoza kudya. Kodi mitengo ya ku munda ndi anthu kuti mukalimbane nayo?
20 You are permitted to cut down the other trees and use the wood to make ladders and towers to enable you to [go over the walls and] capture the city.”
Komabe mukhoza kudula mitengo imene mukudziwa kuti si ya zipatso ndi kuyigwiritsa ntchito pa nkhondo mpaka mzinda umene mukumenyana nawowo utagwetsedwa.
