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.
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 When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.
Wakati unakaribia kuingia kwenye vita, kuhani anapaswa kuwasogelea na kuongea na watu.
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],
Anapaswa kuwaambia,”Sikilizeni, Israel, mnaenda kupigana dhidi ya maadui zenu. Msidhofishe moyo wenu. Msiohofu au kutetemeka. Msiwaogope.
4 because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’
Kwa kuwa Yahwe Mungu wenu ndiye aendae pamoja nanyi kupigana kwa ajili yenu dhidi ya maadui zenu na kuwaokoa.
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].
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 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].
Kuna yeyote ambaye amepanda mzabibu na hajafurahia matunda yake? Acha aende nyumbani, ili kwamba asife vitani na mtu mwingine afurahie matunda yake.
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.’
Ni mtu yupi aliyeposa kuoa mwanamke lakini bado hajamuoa? Acha aende nyumbani ili kwamba asife vitani na mume mwingine amuoa.”
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.’
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 when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].
Wakati maakida wamemaliza kuzungumza na watu, wanapaswa kuteua majemedari juu yao.
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.
Wakati mtokapo kuteka mji, wafanye watu hao toleo la amani.
11 If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.
Kama watapokea amani na kufungua malango yao kwako, watu wote wanaopatikana ndani yake wanapaswa kulazimishwa kukufanyia kazi na wanapaswa kukutumikia.
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].
Lakini kama haitengenezi amani kwenu, lakani badala yake inatengeneza vita dhidi yenu, basi mnapaswa kumruhusu,
13 Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.
na wakati Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa ushindi na kuwaweka chini ya utawala wenu, mnapaswa kuua kila mtu katika mji.
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.
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 You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.
Unapaswa kuifanyia hivyo kuelekea miji yote ambayo iko mbali nawe, miji ambayo siyo miji ya mataifa yafuatayo.
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].
Katika miji ya watu hawa ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi, mnapaswa kutunza chochote kilicho na uhai.
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.
Badala yake, mnapaswa kabisa kuagamiza: Hittite, na Amorite, Wakanani, Waperezi, Hivite, na Wabusi, kama Yahwe Mungu wenu alivyowaamuru.
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.
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 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.
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 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.”
Ila miti ambayo unaijua siyo miti ya chakula, unaweza kuharibu na kuikata chini; utajenga maburuji dhidi ya mji unaofanya vita nawe, mpaka uanguke.
