Gũcookerithia 20
1 Rĩrĩa mũgaathiĩ kũrũa na thũ cianyu na muone irĩ na mbarathi na ngaari cia ita na mbũtũ cia ita nyingĩ gũkĩra cianyu, mũtikanaciĩtigĩre, nĩ ũndũ Jehova Ngai wanyu, ũrĩa wamũrutire bũrũri wa Misiri, agaakorwo hamwe na inyuĩ.
“If you go out to battle against your enemies, and you see horsemen and chariots, and that the multitude of your adversary’s army is greater than your own, you shall not fear them. For the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 Rĩrĩa mũgaakorwo mũkuhĩrĩirie gũthiĩ mbaara, mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩagakuhĩrĩria mbũtũ cia ita na aciarĩrie.
Then, as the battle now draws near, the priest shall stand before the front ranks, and he shall speak to the people in this manner:
3 Aciĩre atĩrĩ, “Thikĩrĩria wee Isiraeli, ũmũthĩ nĩ ũgũthiĩ mbaara-inĩ ũkarũe na thũ ciaku. Ndũgakue ngoro kana wĩtigĩre na ndũkamake kana ũinaine ũrĩ mbere yacio.
‘Listen, O Israel! Today you engage in a battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be overwhelmed with fear. Do not be apprehensive. Do not yield. You should have no dread of them.
4 Nĩgũkorwo Jehova Ngai waku nĩwe ũgũtwarana nawe nĩguo akũrũĩrĩre kũrĩ thũ ciaku, akũhootanĩre.”
For the Lord your God is in your midst, and he will contend against your enemies on your behalf, so that he may rescue you from peril.’
5 Anene nao nĩmakooria mbũtũ ya ita atĩrĩ: “Nĩ harĩ mũndũ wakĩte nyũmba njerũ na ndamĩrugũrĩtie? Nĩarekwo acooke mũciĩ, ndagakuĩre mbaara-inĩ, nake mũndũ ũngĩ atuĩke wa kũmĩrugũria.
Likewise, the officers shall proclaim, throughout every company, in the hearing of the soldiers: ‘What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may dedicate it.
6 Nĩ harĩ mũndũ ũhaandĩte mũgũnda wa mĩthabibũ na ndambĩrĩirie gũkenera matunda maguo? Nĩarekwo ainũke ndagakuĩre mbaara-inĩ nake mũndũ ũngĩ atuĩke wa gũkenera matunda macio.
What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet caused it to be common, so that all may eat from it? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may carry out his office.
7 Nĩ harĩ mũndũ marĩkanĩire na mũndũ-wa-nja atĩ nĩekũmũhikia na ndamũhikĩtie? O nake nĩ ainũke ndagakuĩre mbaara-inĩ nake mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio ahikio nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ.”
What man is there, who has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in battle, and another man may take her.’
8 Ningĩ anene nĩmagacooka morie atĩrĩ, “Nĩ harĩ mũndũ ũretigĩra kana agakua ngoro? Ũcio nĩarekwo ainũke nĩgeetha ariũ a ithe o nao matigakue ngoro.”
After these things have been declared, they shall add the remainder, and shall say to the people: ‘What man is there who is overwhelmed by fear and is fainthearted? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he cause the hearts of his brothers to fear, just as he himself has been thoroughly stricken with fear.’
9 Rĩrĩa anene makaarĩkia kwarĩria mbũtũ cia ita-rĩ, nĩmagathuura anene a ita a gũtongoria mbũtũ icio.
And when the officers of the army have become silent, and have completed their speech, each one shall prepare his unit to wage war.
10 Rĩrĩa mũkaambata mũkahũũre itũũra inene, mũkaamba kũũria andũ a rĩo metĩkĩre kũgĩe thayũ.
When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.
11 Mangĩgetĩkĩra na mahingũre ihingo ciao-rĩ, andũ a itũũra rĩu othe magaatuĩka a kũrutithio wĩra na hinya, mamũrutagĩre wĩra.
If they receive it, and open the gates to you, then all the people who are in it shall be saved, and they shall serve you by paying tribute.
12 Mangĩkaarega kũgĩe thayũ na mambĩrĩrie kũrũa na inyuĩ, mũgaathiũrũrũkĩria itũũra rĩu.
But if they are not willing to enter into an agreement, and they begin to act against you in warfare, then you shall besiege it.
13 Rĩrĩa Jehova Ngai wanyu akaarĩneana moko-inĩ manyu-rĩ, mũkooraga arũme othe arĩa marĩ thĩinĩ warĩo.
And when the Lord your God will have delivered it into your hands, you shall strike down anyone who is in it, of the male gender, with the edge of the sword,
14 No ha ũhoro wa andũ-a-nja, na ciana, na mahiũ, o na kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩngĩ gĩothe kĩrĩ thĩinĩ wa itũũra rĩu, no mũcitahe ituĩke cianyu. Na rĩrĩ, no mũhũthĩre indo icio Jehova Ngai wanyu amũheete kuuma kũrĩ thũ cianyu.
but not the women and young children, nor the cattle and the other things that are within the city. And you shall divide all the plunder to the soldiers, and you shall eat the spoils from your enemies, which the Lord your God will give to you.
15 Ũguo nĩguo mũgeeka matũũra manene mothe marĩa marĩ kũraya na kũrĩa mũrĩ no ti ma ndũrĩrĩ iria irĩ gũkuhĩ na inyuĩ.
So shall you do to all the cities which are at a great distance from you, those which are not among the cities that you shall receive as a possession.
16 No rĩrĩ, thĩinĩ wa matũũra manene ma ndũrĩrĩ marĩa Jehova Ngai wanyu ekũmũhe matuĩke igai rĩanyu, mũtikanatigie kĩndũ o nakĩ, kĩhihagia kana kĩrĩ muoyo.
But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.
17 Mũkaamaniina biũ; andũ a Ahiti, na Aamori, na Akaanani, na Aperizi, na Ahivi, na Ajebusi o ta ũrĩa Jehova Ngai wanyu aamwathĩte.
Instead, you shall put them to death with the edge of the sword, specifically: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
18 Kwaga ũguo nĩmakamũruta kũrũmĩrĩra maũndũ mothe marĩ magigi marĩa mekaga makĩhooya ngai ciao, na inyuĩ nĩmũkehĩria Jehova Ngai wanyu.
Otherwise, they may teach you to do all the abominations which they have committed for their own gods. And then you would sin against the Lord your God.
19 Mũngĩgaakorwo mũthiũrũrũkĩirie itũũra ihinda iraaya, mũkĩrĩhũũra nĩguo mũrĩtahe, mũtikanathũkangie mĩtĩ yarĩo na kũmĩtemanga na ithanwa, nĩ ũndũ no mũrĩe matunda mayo. Mũtikanamĩteme. Mĩtĩ ya gĩthaka ĩkĩrĩ andũ, atĩ nĩguo mũmĩthiũrũrũkĩrie?
When you will have besieged a city for a long time, and you will have encircled it with fortifications, so that you may fight against it, you shall not cut down trees from which one is able to eat, neither shall you cause devastation with axes to the surrounding region. For it is a tree, and not a man. It is not able to increase the number of those who are fighting against you.
20 No rĩrĩ, no mũteme mĩtĩ ĩrĩa mũkũmenya atĩ ti ya matunda, na mũmĩtũmĩre gwĩthondekera mwĩgitio wa rũirigo nginya itũũra rĩu rĩrarũa na inyuĩ rĩgwe.
But if there are any trees which are not fruitful, but are wild, and if these are fit for other uses, then cut them down, and make machines, until you have captured the city that is contending against you.”
