Deuteronomy 20
1 When you march out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you must not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, he who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Mtakapokwenda vitani kupigana na adui zenu na mkaona farasi na magari ya vita na jeshi kubwa kuliko lenu, msiwaogope, kwa sababu Bwana Mungu wenu aliyewatoa kutoka Misri, atakuwa pamoja nanyi.
2 When you are about to enter into battle, the priest must approach and speak to the people.
Wakati mtakapokaribia kwenda vitani, kuhani atakuja mbele na kuhutubia jeshi.
3 He must say to them, 'Listen, Israel, you are going to battle against your enemies. Do not let your hearts faint. Do not fear or tremble. Do not be afraid of them.
Atasema: “Sikia, ee Israeli, leo unakwenda vitani kupigana na adui zako. Usife moyo wala usiogope, usitishwe wala usitiwe hofu mbele yao.
4 For Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies and to save you.'
Kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu ndiye huenda pamoja nanyi kuwapigania dhidi ya adui zenu na kuwapatia ushindi.”
5 The officers must speak to the people and say, 'What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man dedicates it.
Maafisa wataliambia jeshi: “Je, kuna yeyote aliyejenga nyumba mpya ambayo haijawekwa wakfu? Yeye na arudi nyumbani, ama sivyo anaweza kufa vitani na mtu mwingine akaiweka wakfu.
6 Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go home, so he will not die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
Je, kuna yeyote aliyepanda shamba la mizabibu na hajaanza kulifurahia? Yeye na arudi nyumbani, au sivyo anaweza kufa vitani na mtu mwingine akalifurahia.
7 What man is there who is engaged to marry a woman but has not yet married her? Let him go home so that he does not die in battle and another man marries her.'
Je, kuna yeyote aliyeposa mwanamke na hajamwoa? Yeye na arudi nyumbani, ama sivyo anaweza kufa vitani na mtu mwingine akamwoa.”
8 The officers must speak further to the people and say, 'What man is there who is fearful or fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, so that his brother's heart does not melt like his own heart.'
Kisha maafisa wataongeza haya, “Je, kuna mtu anayeogopa ama kufa moyo? Yeye na arudi nyumbani ili ndugu zake nao wasije wakafa moyo pia.”
9 When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint commanders over them.
Wakati maafisa watakapomaliza kuzungumza na jeshi, watawateua wakuu wa vikosi.
10 When you march up to attack a city, make those people an offer of peace.
Wakati mtakapokwenda kushambulia mji, wapeni watu wake masharti ya amani.
11 If they accept your offer and open their gates to you, all the people who are found in it must become forced labor for you and must serve you.
Wakikubali na kuwafungulia malango yao, watu wake wote watawatumikia kwa kufanya kazi ngumu na watawatumikia.
12 But if it makes no offer of peace to you, but instead makes war against you, then you must besiege it,
Ikiwa watakataa kufanya mapatano ya amani na wakiwaingiza katika vita, basi mtauzunguka mji huo kwa vita.
13 and when Yahweh your God gives you victory and puts them under your control, you must kill every man in the town.
Wakati Bwana Mungu wenu atakapouweka mji huo mkononi mwenu, waueni kwa upanga wanaume wote waliomo ndani yake.
14 But the women, the little ones, the cattle, and everything that is in the city, and all its spoil, you will take as booty for yourself. You will consume the booty of your enemies, whom Yahweh your God has given to you.
Kwa upande wa wanawake, watoto, mifugo na kila kitu kingine chochote ndani ya huo mji, mnaweza kuvichukua kama nyara kwa ajili yenu. Nanyi mnaweza kuzitumia hizo nyara ambazo Bwana Mungu wenu amewapa kutoka kwa adui zenu.
15 You must act in this way toward all the cities that are very far from you, cities that are not of the cities of these following nations.
Hivi ndivyo mtakavyofanya kwa miji yote ambayo iko mbali nanyi, ambayo haimilikiwi na mataifa ya karibu.
16 In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must save alive nothing that breathes.
Hata hivyo, katika miji ya mataifa ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi, msiache kitu chochote hai kinachopumua.
17 Instead, you must completely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you.
Waangamizeni kabisa Wahiti, Waamori, Wakanaani, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi, kama Bwana Mungu wenu alivyowaamuru.
18 Do this so that they do not teach you to act in any of their abominable ways, as they have done with their gods. If you do, you will sin against Yahweh your God.
La sivyo, watawafundisha kufuata mambo yote ya machukizo wanayofanya wakiabudu miungu yao, nanyi mtatenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wenu.
19 When you will besiege a city for a long time, as you wage war against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. For you may eat from them, so you must not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man whom you should besiege?
Wakati mtakapouzunguka mji kwa vita kwa muda mrefu, mkipigana dhidi yake ili kuuteka, msiharibu miti yake kwa kuikata kwa shoka, kwa sababu mtaweza kula matunda yake. Hivyo msiikate. Je, miti hiyo ya mashambani ni watu, hata muizingire?
20 Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you may destroy and cut down; you will build siege works against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
Hata hivyo, mnaweza kuikata miti ambayo sio miti ya matunda na kuitumia kujenga ngome, mpaka mji ulio katika vita na ninyi utakapoanguka.
