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 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 Njalo kuzakuthi, nxa selisondela empini, umpristi asondele akhulume labantu,
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 athi kubo: Zwana, Israyeli! Selisondela empini lamuhla limelana lezitha zenu; inhliziyo yenu kayingapheli amandla; lingesabi, lingathuthumeli, lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yobukhona babo;
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 iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani, ukulilwela ezitheni zenu, ukulisindisa.
For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 Lenduna zizakhuluma labantu zithi: Ngubani umuntu owakhe indlu entsha ongazanga ayivule? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu ayivule.
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 Ngubani-ke umuntu ohlanyele isivini, ongadlanga okwaso? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu adle okwaso.
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 Ngubani-ke umuntu ogane umfazi, engakamthathi? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye 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 Lezinduna zizakhuluma futhi labantu, zithi: Ngubani umuntu owesabayo ophelelwa ngamandla enhliziyweni? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, ukuze inhliziyo zabafowabo zingaphelelwa ngamandla njengenhliziyo yakhe.
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-ke lapho izinduna seziqedile ukukhuluma labantu, bazabeka izinduna zebutho ephondo lwabantu.
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 Ekusondeleni kwakho emzini ukulwa umelene lawo, uzamemezela ukuthula kuwo.
When you come nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
11 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ukuphendula ngokuthula, ukuvulela, khona bonke abantu abaficwa kuwo bazakuba yizibhalwa kuwe, bakusebenzele.
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 uba ungenzi ukuthula lawe, kodwa usilwa lawe, uzawuvimbezela.
And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:
13 Nxa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iwunikela esandleni sakho, uzatshaya wonke owesilisa wawo ngobukhali benkemba.
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 abesifazana labantwanyana, lezifuyo, lakho konke okusemzini, impango yonke yawo, uzaziphangela yona; uzakudla impango yezitha zakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike yona.
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 Uzakwenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi ekhatshana kakhulu lawe, engeyisiyo yemizi yalezizizwe.
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 Kodwa emizini yalababantu iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika yona ukuba yilifa, kawuyikutshiya lutho luphila oluphefumulayo;
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 kodwa uzabatshabalalisa lokubatshabalalisa: AmaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani lamaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, njengokukulaya kwayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
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 Ukuze bangalifundisi ukwenza njengazo zonke izinengiso zabo, abazenze kubonkulunkulu babo, ukuthi lone eNkosini 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 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 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 Kuphela izihlahla elizaziyo ukuthi kayisizo izihlahla zokudla, yilezo ongazichitha lokuzigamula ukuze wakhe inqaba yokuvimbezela maqondana lomuzi olwa impi lawe, uze wehlele phansi.
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.
