UDutheronomi 20
1 “Lapho liphuma ukuyakulwa lesitha senu empini libe selibona amabhiza lezinqola kanye lebutho elikhulu ukwedlula elenu, lingabesabi, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalikhupha eGibhithe, uzakuba lani.
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
2 Nxa selilungele ukuhlasela, umphristi uzakuza akhulume lebutho.
And it shall be, when all of you are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3 Uzakuthi: ‘Zwana, wena Israyeli, namuhla liya ekuhlaseleni izitha zenu. Lingapheli amandla kumbe lesabe; lingatshaywa luvalo njalo lethuke phambi kwabo.
And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, all of you approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be all of you terrified because of them;
4 Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani ukuyalilwela ezitheni zenu ukuba linqobe.’
For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 Izikhulu zizakuthi ebuthweni: ‘Ukhona owakhe indlu entsha ongakayihlali na? Kabuyele emzini wakhe, funa afe empini kuthi omunye asale esezihlalela endlini yakhe.
And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6 Ukhona ohlanyele isivini kodwa engakadli izithelo zaso na? Kabuyele emzini wakhe, funa afe empini kuthi omunye azidlele izithelo zaso.
And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
7 Ukhona osethembise owesifazane kodwa engakamthathi ukuthi abe ngumkakhe na? Kabuyele emzini wakhe, funa afe empini kuthi omunye umuntu amthathe’
And what man is there that has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
8 Izikhulu zizaqhubeka zithi, ‘Ikhona indoda eyesabayo kumbe ephelelwa ngamandla na? Kayibuyele emzini wayo ukuze abafowabo labo bangaphelelwa ngamandla.’
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.
9 Kuzakuthi lapho izikhulu seziqedile ukukhuluma lebutho, zizakhetha abalawuli bebutho.
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
10 Nxa lisiya edolobheni ukuthi lihlasele, khulumani labantu bakulelodolobho lidinga ukuthula.
When you come nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
11 Bangavuma njalo balivulele amasango abo, bonke abantu bakulelodolobho bazakuba yizichaka zenu balisebenzele.
And it shall be, if it make you answer of peace, and open unto you, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto you, and they shall serve you.
12 Kodwa bangala ukwamukela amazwi enu okuthula balihlasele, livimbezeleni lelodolobho.
And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:
13 Kuzakuthi lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esenikele idolobho lelo kini, libulale amadoda wonke ngenkemba.
And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall strike every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
14 Kodwa abesifazane, abantwana, izifuyo kanye lakho konke okukulelodolobho kuzakuba yimpango yenu. Yonke impango yezitha zenu uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika yona izakuba ngeyenu.
But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall you take unto yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.
15 Lokhu yikho okumele likwenze emadolobheni wonke akude lani njalo angasiwo ezizwe ezihlala eduzane lani.
Thus shall you do unto all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 Kanti-ke, emadolobheni ezizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika wona njengelifa, lingatshiyi lutho oluphefumulayo luphila.
But of the cities of these people, which the LORD your God does give you for an inheritance, you shall keep alive nothing that breathes:
17 Lizawabhubhisa liwaqede wonke amaHithi, ama-Amori, amaKhenani, amaPherizi, amaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njengokulaywa kwenu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
But you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you:
18 Funa balifundise ukwenza imikhuba yabo enengekayo yokukhonza onkulunkulu babo, lone kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should all of you sin against the LORD your God.
19 Nxa idolobho selilivimbezele okwesikhathi eside, lilihlasela ukuze lilithumbe, lingatshabalalisi izihlahla zalo ngokuzigamula, ngoba lingadla izithelo zazo. Lingazigamuli. Kambe izihlahla zeganga zingabantu ukuthi lingazivimbezela na?
When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
20 Kodwa-ke lingagamula izihlahla elizaziyo ukuthi azitheli izithelo ezidliwayo ukuze lizisebenzise ekwakheni amadumba lize linqobe ledolobho lelo empini.”
Only the trees which you know that they be not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued.
