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 march out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you must not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, he who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
2 Njalo kuzakuthi, nxa selisondela empini, umpristi asondele akhulume labantu,
When you are about to enter into battle, the priest must approach and speak to the people.
3 athi kubo: Zwana, Israyeli! Selisondela empini lamuhla limelana lezitha zenu; inhliziyo yenu kayingapheli amandla; lingesabi, lingathuthumeli, lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yobukhona babo;
He must say to them, 'Listen, Israel, you are going to battle against your enemies. Do not let your hearts faint. Do not fear or tremble. Do not be afraid of them.
4 ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani, ukulilwela ezitheni zenu, ukulisindisa.
For Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies and 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.
The officers must speak to the people and say, 'What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man dedicates it.
6 Ngubani-ke umuntu ohlanyele isivini, ongadlanga okwaso? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu adle okwaso.
Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go home, so he will not 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.
What man is there who is engaged to marry a woman but has not yet married her? Let him go home so that he does not die in battle and another man marries her.'
8 Lezinduna zizakhuluma futhi labantu, zithi: Ngubani umuntu owesabayo ophelelwa ngamandla enhliziyweni? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, ukuze inhliziyo zabafowabo zingaphelelwa ngamandla njengenhliziyo yakhe.
The officers must speak further to the people and say, 'What man is there who is fearful or fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, so that his brother's heart does not melt like his own heart.'
9 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho izinduna seziqedile ukukhuluma labantu, bazabeka izinduna zebutho ephondo lwabantu.
When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint commanders over them.
10 Ekusondeleni kwakho emzini ukulwa umelene lawo, uzamemezela ukuthula kuwo.
When you march up to attack a city, make those people 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 and open their gates to you, all the people who are found in it must become forced labor for you and must serve you.
12 Kodwa uba ungenzi ukuthula lawe, kodwa usilwa lawe, uzawuvimbezela.
But if it makes no offer of peace to you, but instead makes war against you, then you must besiege it,
13 Nxa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iwunikela esandleni sakho, uzatshaya wonke owesilisa wawo ngobukhali benkemba.
and when Yahweh your God gives you victory and puts them under your control, you must kill every man in the town.
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, the little ones, the cattle, and everything that is in the city, and all its spoil, you will take as booty for yourself. You will consume the booty of your enemies, whom Yahweh your God has given to you.
15 Uzakwenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi ekhatshana kakhulu lawe, engeyisiyo yemizi yalezizizwe.
You must act in this way toward all the cities that are very far from you, cities that are not of the cities of these following nations.
16 Kodwa emizini yalababantu iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika yona ukuba yilifa, kawuyikutshiya lutho luphila oluphefumulayo;
In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must save alive nothing that breathes.
17 kodwa uzabatshabalalisa lokubatshabalalisa: AmaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani lamaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, njengokukulaya kwayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
Instead, you must completely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you.
18 Ukuze bangalifundisi ukwenza njengazo zonke izinengiso zabo, abazenze kubonkulunkulu babo, ukuthi lone eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu.
Do this so that they do not teach you to act in any of their abominable ways, as they have done with their gods. If you do, you will sin against Yahweh 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 will besiege a city for a long time, as you wage war against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. For you may eat from them, so you must not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man whom you should besiege?
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 that you know are not trees for food, you may destroy and cut down; you will build siege works against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
