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, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 Njalo kuzakuthi, nxa selisondela empini, umpristi asondele akhulume labantu,
It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall 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;
and shall tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don’t let your heart faint! Don’t be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them;
4 ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani, ukulilwela ezitheni zenu, ukulisindisa.
for Yahweh your God is he who 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.
The officers shall speak to the people, saying, “What man is there who 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.
What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit.
7 Ngubani-ke umuntu ogane umfazi, engakamthathi? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu amthathe.
What man is there who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to 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.
The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, “What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother’s heart melt as his heart.”
9 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho izinduna seziqedile ukukhuluma labantu, bazabeka izinduna zebutho ephondo lwabantu.
It shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.
10 Ekusondeleni kwakho emzini ukulwa umelene lawo, uzamemezela ukuthula kuwo.
When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ukuphendula ngokuthula, ukuvulela, khona bonke abantu abaficwa kuwo bazakuba yizibhalwa kuwe, bakusebenzele.
It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you.
12 Kodwa uba ungenzi ukuthula lawe, kodwa usilwa lawe, uzawuvimbezela.
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.
When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it 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, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you.
15 Uzakwenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi ekhatshana kakhulu lawe, engeyisiyo yemizi yalezizizwe.
Thus you shall do to 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 peoples that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save 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: the Hittite, 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.
that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you 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 shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?
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 shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
