Δευτερονόμιον 20

1 ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλθῃς εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου καὶ ἴδῃς ἵππον καὶ ἀναβάτην καὶ λαὸν πλείονά σου οὐ φοβηθήσῃ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεός σου μετὰ σοῦ ὁ ἀναβιβάσας σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

“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 καὶ ἔσται ὅταν ἐγγίσῃς τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ προσεγγίσας ὁ ἱερεὺς λαλήσει τῷ λαῷ

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 καὶ ἐρεῖ πρὸς αὐτούς ἄκουε Ισραηλ ὑμεῖς προσπορεύεσθε σήμερον εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκλυέσθω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν μὴ φοβεῖσθε μηδὲ θραύεσθε μηδὲ ἐκκλίνητε ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν

‘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 ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ὁ προπορευόμενος μεθ’ ὑμῶν συνεκπολεμῆσαι ὑμῖν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν διασῶσαι ὑμᾶς

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 καὶ λαλήσουσιν οἱ γραμματεῖς πρὸς τὸν λαὸν λέγοντες τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ οἰκοδομήσας οἰκίαν καινὴν καὶ οὐκ ἐνεκαίνισεν αὐτήν πορευέσθω καὶ ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἕτερος ἐγκαινιεῖ αὐτήν

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 καὶ τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅστις ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα καὶ οὐκ εὐφράνθη ἐξ αὐτοῦ πορευέσθω καὶ ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἕτερος εὐφρανθήσεται ἐξ αὐτοῦ

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 καὶ τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅστις μεμνήστευται γυναῖκα καὶ οὐκ ἔλαβεν αὐτήν πορευέσθω καὶ ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἕτερος λήμψεται αὐτήν

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 καὶ προσθήσουσιν οἱ γραμματεῖς λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐροῦσιν τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος καὶ δειλὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ πορευέσθω καὶ ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ δειλιάνῃ τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ὥσπερ ἡ αὐτοῦ

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 καὶ ἔσται ὅταν παύσωνται οἱ γραμματεῖς λαλοῦντες πρὸς τὸν λαόν καὶ καταστήσουσιν ἄρχοντας τῆς στρατιᾶς προηγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ

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 ἐὰν δὲ προσέλθῃς πρὸς πόλιν ἐκπολεμῆσαι αὐτήν καὶ ἐκκαλέσῃ αὐτοὺς μετ’ εἰρήνης

When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.

11 ἐὰν μὲν εἰρηνικὰ ἀποκριθῶσίν σοι καὶ ἀνοίξωσίν σοι ἔσται πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οἱ εὑρεθέντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἔσονταί σοι φορολόγητοι καὶ ὑπήκοοί σου

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 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ὑπακούσωσίν σοι καὶ ποιήσωσιν πρὸς σὲ πόλεμον περικαθιεῖς αὐτήν

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 καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὴν κύριος ὁ θεός σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου καὶ πατάξεις πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν αὐτῆς ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας

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 πλὴν τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς καὶ πάντα τὰ κτήνη καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἂν ὑπάρχῃ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀπαρτίαν προνομεύσεις σεαυτῷ καὶ φάγῃ πᾶσαν τὴν προνομὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ὧν κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι

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 οὕτως ποιήσεις πάσας τὰς πόλεις τὰς μακρὰν οὔσας ἀπὸ σοῦ σφόδρα αἳ οὐχὶ ἐκ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἐθνῶν τούτων

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 ἰδοὺ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἐθνῶν τούτων ὧν κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι κληρονομεῖν τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν οὐ ζωγρήσετε ἀπ’ αὐτῶν πᾶν ἐμπνέον

But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.

17 ἀλλ’ ἢ ἀναθέματι ἀναθεματιεῖτε αὐτούς τὸν Χετταῖον καὶ Αμορραῖον καὶ Χαναναῖον καὶ Φερεζαῖον καὶ Ευαῖον καὶ Ιεβουσαῖον καὶ Γεργεσαῖον ὃν τρόπον ἐνετείλατό σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου

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 ἵνα μὴ διδάξωσιν ὑμᾶς ποιεῖν πάντα τὰ βδελύγματα αὐτῶν ὅσα ἐποίησαν τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἁμαρτήσεσθε ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν

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 ἐὰν δὲ περικαθίσῃς περὶ πόλιν ἡμέρας πλείους ἐκπολεμῆσαι αὐτὴν εἰς κατάλημψιν αὐτῆς οὐχὶ ἐξολεθρεύσεις τὰ δένδρα αὐτῆς ἐπιβαλεῖν ἐπ’ αὐτὰ σίδηρον ἀλλ’ ἢ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ φάγῃ αὐτὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐκκόψεις μὴ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ξύλον τὸ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ εἰσελθεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου σου εἰς τὸν χάρακα

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 ἀλλὰ ξύλον ὃ ἐπίστασαι ὅτι οὐ καρπόβρωτόν ἐστιν τοῦτο ἐξολεθρεύσεις καὶ ἐκκόψεις καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις χαράκωσιν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἥτις ποιεῖ πρὸς σὲ τὸν πόλεμον ἕως ἂν παραδοθῇ

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.”