Mose 5 20
1 “Ne mieyi aʋa, eye miekpɔ sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo wosɔ gbɔ fũu, eye miekpɔ aʋakɔ si sɔ gbɔ wu mia tɔ la, dzidzi megaƒo mi o! Yehowa, wò Mawu la, ame si kplɔ wò dedie tso Egipte la li kpli wò.
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.
2 Hafi miakpe aʋa la, na nunɔla aɖe natsi tsitre ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ la ŋgɔ, eye wòagblɔ be,
When you are about to enter into battle, the priest must approach and speak to the people.
3 ‘Miɖo tom, mi Israelviwo katã. Migavɔ̃ ne mieyi aʋa wɔ ge egbe o!
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.
4 Yehowa, mia Mawu la le yiyim kpli mi! Awɔ aʋa kple futɔ la na mi, eye wòana miaɖu dzi!’
For Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies and to save you.'
5 “Ekema aʋakplɔlawo aƒo nu na aʋawɔlawo ale: ‘Mia dometɔ aɖe tso aƒe yeye, eye mekɔ eŋuti haɖe oa? Ne ele eme nenema la, ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa akɔ wò aƒe la ŋu!
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.
6 Mia dometɔ aɖe de waingble yeye aɖe, eye meɖu waintsetse aɖeke tso agble la me haɖe oa? Ekema amea nayi aƒe me! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa aɖu eƒe waintsetse la!
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.
7 Ɖe mia dometɔ aɖe bia nyɔnu ta ŋkeke siawo mea? Ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe me, eye wòaɖe nyɔnu la. Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ŋutsu bubu aɖe sãa aɖe nyɔnu si ta wòbia.
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.'
8 Azɔ la, mia dometɔ aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ma? Ne ele vɔvɔ̃m la, ekema neyi aƒe me be màgade vɔvɔ̃ lãme na ame bubuawo o!’
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.'
9 “Ne aʋakplɔlawo wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ na ameawo nu la, woaɖe gbeƒã aʋafiawo ƒe ŋkɔwo.”
When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint commanders over them.
10 “Ne èho aʋa ɖe du aɖe ŋu la, bia tso dua me tɔwo si gbã be woana ta.
When you march up to attack a city, make those people an offer of peace.
11 Ne wolɔ̃ ɖe edzi, eye woʋu woƒe agbowo na wò la, ekema dua me tɔwo azu wò subɔlawo.
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.
12 Ne wogbe be yewomawɔ ŋutifafa kple wò o la, ekema ele be nàɖe to ɖe dua.
But if it makes no offer of peace to you, but instead makes war against you, then you must besiege it,
13 Ne Yehowa, wò Mawu la tsɔ du la de asi na wò la, ekema ele be nàwu ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe le dua me,
and when Yahweh your God gives you victory and puts them under your control, you must kill every man in the town.
14 ke àte ŋu agblẽ nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo, lãwo kple afunyinuwo katã ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo.
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.
15 Se siawo ku ɖe du siwo mele Ŋugbedodonyigba la ŋutɔ dzi o la ŋu.
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.
16 “Ke migana ame aɖeke natsi agbe le Ŋugbedodonyigba si Yehowa wò Mawu tsɔ na wò la dzi o. Na woatsrɔ̃ nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe.
In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must save alive nothing that breathes.
17 Na woatsrɔ̃ Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo keŋkeŋ, abe ale si Yehowa, wò Mawu la de se na wòe ene.
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.
18 “Se sia ƒe taɖodzinue nye be wòana be anyigba la dzi tɔwo makplɔ mi ade woƒe legbawo subɔsubɔ kple woƒe kɔnyinyi vɔ̃ɖiwo me, eye miato esiawo me awɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa, wò Mawu la ŋu o.
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.
19 “Ne èɖe to ɖe du aɖe la, mègagblẽ woƒe kutsetsetiwo o. Na miaɖu kutsetse siwo miate ŋui. Mègana woatso atiawo ƒu anyi dzodzro o. Atiawo menye futɔwo, eye wòle be nàna woatsrɔ̃ wo o!
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?
20 Ke tso ati siwo ƒe kutsetsewo womeɖuna o la ƒu anyi; woatsɔ wo awɔ atrakpuiwo kple nu siwo ŋu dɔ nàwɔ le aʋa la wɔwɔ me.”
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.
