UDutheronomi 20
1 Lapho uphuma impi ukumelana lezitha zakho, ube usubona amabhiza lezinqola, labantu abanengi kulawe, ungabesabi; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ilawe, eyakukhupha elizweni leGibhithe.
When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 Njalo kuzakuthi, nxa selisondela empini, umpristi asondele akhulume labantu,
When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,
3 athi kubo: Zwana, Israyeli! Selisondela empini lamuhla limelana lezitha zenu; inhliziyo yenu kayingapheli amandla; lingesabi, lingathuthumeli, lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yobukhona babo;
saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
4 ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani, ukulilwela ezitheni zenu, ukulisindisa.
For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
5 Lenduna zizakhuluma labantu zithi: Ngubani umuntu owakhe indlu entsha ongazanga ayivule? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu ayivule.
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
6 Ngubani-ke umuntu ohlanyele isivini, ongadlanga okwaso? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu adle okwaso.
Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
7 Ngubani-ke umuntu ogane umfazi, engakamthathi? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu amthathe.
Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
8 Lezinduna zizakhuluma futhi labantu, zithi: Ngubani umuntu owesabayo ophelelwa ngamandla enhliziyweni? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, ukuze inhliziyo zabafowabo zingaphelelwa ngamandla njengenhliziyo yakhe.
Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
9 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho izinduna seziqedile ukukhuluma labantu, bazabeka izinduna zebutho ephondo lwabantu.
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
10 Ekusondeleni kwakho emzini ukulwa umelene lawo, uzamemezela ukuthula kuwo.
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.
11 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ukuphendula ngokuthula, ukuvulela, khona bonke abantu abaficwa kuwo bazakuba yizibhalwa kuwe, bakusebenzele.
If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
12 Kodwa uba ungenzi ukuthula lawe, kodwa usilwa lawe, uzawuvimbezela.
But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.
13 Nxa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iwunikela esandleni sakho, uzatshaya wonke owesilisa wawo ngobukhali benkemba.
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.
14 Kodwa abesifazana labantwanyana, lezifuyo, lakho konke okusemzini, impango yonke yawo, uzaziphangela yona; uzakudla impango yezitha zakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike yona.
But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
15 Uzakwenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi ekhatshana kakhulu lawe, engeyisiyo yemizi yalezizizwe.
This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16 Kodwa emizini yalababantu iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika yona ukuba yilifa, kawuyikutshiya lutho luphila oluphefumulayo;
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
17 kodwa uzabatshabalalisa lokubatshabalalisa: AmaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani lamaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, njengokukulaya kwayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
18 Ukuze bangalifundisi ukwenza njengazo zonke izinengiso zabo, abazenze kubonkulunkulu babo, ukuthi lone eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu.
so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
19 Lapho uvimbezela umuzi isikhathi eside, usilwa lawo ukuwuthumba, ungoni izihlahla zawo ngokuzigamula ngehloka, ngoba ungadla okwazo, kodwa ungazigamuli (ngoba isihlahla seganga singesabantu) ukuza phambi kwakho ekuvimbezeleni.
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
20 Kuphela izihlahla elizaziyo ukuthi kayisizo izihlahla zokudla, yilezo ongazichitha lokuzigamula ukuze wakhe inqaba yokuvimbezela maqondana lomuzi olwa impi lawe, uze wehlele phansi.
But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
