Deuteronomy 20
1 When thou goest out to battle against thy enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee 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 shall be, when ye are come near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
Wakati unakaribia kuingia kwenye vita, kuhani anapaswa kuwasogelea na kuongea na watu.
3 And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
Anapaswa kuwaambia,”Sikilizeni, Israel, mnaenda kupigana dhidi ya maadui zenu. Msidhofishe moyo wenu. Msiohofu au kutetemeka. Msiwaogope.
4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against 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 officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle, and another man should 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 what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle, and another man should eat of it.
Kuna yeyote ambaye amepanda mzabibu na hajafurahia matunda yake? Acha aende nyumbani, ili kwamba asife vitani na mtu mwingine afurahie matunda yake.
7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return to his house, lest he should die in battle, and another man should 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 officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart should faint as well as 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 shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
Wakati maakida wamemaliza kuzungumza na watu, wanapaswa kuteua majemedari juu yao.
10 When thou comest near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
Wakati mtokapo kuteka mji, wafanye watu hao toleo la amani.
11 And it shall be, if it shall make thee answer of peace, and open to thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found in it shall be forced labourers to thee, and they shall serve thee.
Kama watapokea amani na kufungua malango yao kwako, watu wote wanaopatikana ndani yake wanapaswa kulazimishwa kukufanyia kazi na wanapaswa kukutumikia.
12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Lakini kama haitengenezi amani kwenu, lakani badala yake inatengeneza vita dhidi yenu, basi mnapaswa kumruhusu,
13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thy hands, thou shalt smite every male of it with the edge of the sword:
na wakati Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa ushindi na kuwaweka chini ya utawala wenu, mnapaswa kuua kila mtu katika mji.
14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil of it, shalt thou take to thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thy enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
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 Thus shalt thou do to all the cities which are very distant from thee, 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 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Katika miji ya watu hawa ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi, mnapaswa kutunza chochote kilicho na uhai.
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
Badala yake, mnapaswa kabisa kuagamiza: Hittite, na Amorite, Wakanani, Waperezi, Hivite, na Wabusi, kama Yahwe Mungu wenu alivyowaamuru.
18 That they may not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
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 thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees of it by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life ) to employ them 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 trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it shall be subdued.
Ila miti ambayo unaijua siyo miti ya chakula, unaweza kuharibu na kuikata chini; utajenga maburuji dhidi ya mji unaofanya vita nawe, mpaka uanguke.
