< Deotoronomia 20 >
1 Raha mivoaka hanafika ny fahavalonao ianao ka mahita soavaly sy kalesy ary olona maro noho ianao, dia aza matahotra azy; fa Jehovah Andriamanitrao kosa, Izay nitondra anao niakatra avy tany amin’ ny tany Egypta, no momba anao.
“When your [soldiers] go to fight your enemies, and you see that they have many horses and chariots and that their army is much bigger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God, who brought your [ancestors safely] out of Egypt, will be with you.
2 Ary rehefa hanafika ianareo, dia hanatona ny mpisorona ka hiteny amin’ ny olona hoe:
When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.
3 Mihainoa, ry Isiraely ô, fa efa hanafika ny fahavalonareo ianareo anio; koa aza ketraka ny fonareo ary aza matahotra, na mikorapaka foana, na mangorohoro noho ny tahotra azy;
He must say to them, ‘You Israeli men, listen to me! Today you are going to fight against your enemies. Do not be timid or afraid [DOU] or tremble or panic [DOU],
4 fa Jehovah Andriamanitrareo no miara-mandeha aminareo hiady ho anareo amin’ ny fahavalonareo mba hamonjy anareo.
because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’
5 Dia hiteny amin’ ny olona ireo mpifehy azy ka hanao hoe: Iza no olona izay efa nanao trano vaovao, nefa tsy mbola nitokanany? Aoka handeha hiverina any an-tranony izy, fandrao maty any amin’ ny ady, ka olon-kafa no hitokana ny tranony.
Then the army officers must say to the troops, ‘If anyone among you has just built a new house [RHQ] and has not dedicated it [to God], he should go home [and dedicate the house]. If he does not do that, if he dies in the battle, someone else will dedicate the house [and live in it].
6 Ary iza no olona izay efa nanao tanim-boaloboka, nefa tsy mbola nihinana ny vokatra? Aoka handeha hiverina any an-tranony izy, fandrao maty any amin’ ny ady, ka olon-kafa no hihinana ny vokatra.
If anyone among you has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested any grapes from it [RHQ], he should go home. If he [stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will [harvest the grapes and] enjoy [the wine made from them].
7 Ary iza no olona izay efa nifofo vady, nefa tsy mbola nampakatra azy? Aoka handeha hiverina any an-tranony izy, fandrao maty any amin’ ny ady, ka olon-kafa no hampakatra ny vadiny.
If anyone among you has become engaged to marry a woman [but has not married her yet] [RHQ], he should go home. If [he stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will marry her.’
8 Ary mbola hiteny amin’ ny olona ihany ny mpifehy azy ka hanao hoe: Iza no olona izay matahotra ka osa fo? Aoka handeha hiverina any an-tranony izy, fandrao ho ketraka tahaka ny fony koa ny fon’ ny rahalahiny.
“Then the officers must also say, ‘If anyone among you is afraid or timid [RHQ], he should go home, in order that he does not cause his fellow soldiers to also stop being courageous.’
9 Ary rehefa vitan’ ny mpifehy vahoaka ny teny ataony amin’ ny olona, dia hasiany mpifehy ny miaramila hitarika azy.
And when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].
10 Raha mby akaikin’ izay tanàna hiadiana ianao, dia milazà fihavanana aminy.
“When you come near a city [that is far away] to attack it, first tell the people there that if they surrender, you will not attack them.
11 Ary raha fihavanana no avaliny anao, ka mampandroso anao izy, dia hampanaovinao fanompoana ny olona rehetra ao, ka hanompo anao izy.
If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.
12 Fa raha tsy mety manao fihavanana aminao kosa izy, fa te-hiady aminao, dia ataovy fahirano izy.
But if they refuse to [surrender] peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city [and break through the walls].
13 Ary rehefa atolotr’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao eo an-tananao izy, dia hovonoinao amin’ ny lelan-tsabatra ny lehilahy rehetra ao.
Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.
14 Fa ny babo rehetra ao, dia ny zaza amim-behivavy sy ny biby fiompy ary izay rehetra ao an-tanàna, dia ho entinao ho anao; ary hohaninao ny babo azo tamin’ ny fahavalonao, izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao.
But you are allowed to take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else [that you want to take] from the city. You will be allowed to enjoy all the things that belonged to your enemies; it is Yahweh our God who has given those things to you.
15 Toy izany no hataonao amin’ ny tanàna rehetra izay lavitra anao indrindra ka tsy tanànan’ ireto firenena ireto.
You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.
16 Fa ny tanànan’ ireto firenena ireto kosa, izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao ho lovanao, dia aza asiana miangana izay olona rehetra ao.
“But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].
17 Fa aringano tokoa ireo, dia ny Hetita sy ny Amorita sy ny Kananita sy ny Perizita sy ny Hivita ary ny Jebosita, araka izay nandidian’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao,
You must get rid of them completely. Get rid of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group; that is what Yahweh our God commanded you to do.
18 mba tsy hampianarany anareo hanao araka ny fahavetavetany rehetra izay nataony tamin’ ireo andriamaniny, ka tsy hanotanareo amin’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrareo.
If you do not do that, they will teach you to sin against Yahweh our God and do the disgusting things that they do when they worship their gods.
19 Raha hataonao fahirano ela ny tanàna izay tafihinao halaina, dia aza simbana kapaina amin’ ny famaky ny hazo eo; fa hisy hohaninao amin’ ireo, koa aza kapaina, fa olona va ny hazo any an-tsaha, no hataonao fahirano?
“When you surround a city for a long time, trying to capture it, do not cut down the fruit trees [outside the city]. You are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees, but do not get rid of the trees, because they certainly are not [RHQ] your enemies.
20 Kanefa ny hazo izay fantatrao fa tsy fihinam-boa dia kapao ihany, ka ataovy manda hamelezana ny tanàna izay miady aminao mandra-paharesiny.
You are permitted to cut down the other trees and use the wood to make ladders and towers to enable you to [go over the walls and] capture the city.”