Deuteronomio 20
1 Cuando salgas a la guerra contra tus enemigos, y veas caballos, carruajes y gente más numerosa que tú, no les temas, porque Yavé tu ʼElohim, Quien te sacó de la tierra de Egipto, está contigo.
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 the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 Cuando se acerquen para combatir, el sacerdote se pondrá en pie y hablará al pueblo,
It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
3 y les dirá: Escucha, oh Israel: Hoy ustedes se acercan a presentar batalla contra sus enemigos. No desmaye su corazón. No teman, ni se turben, ni tiemblen ante ellos,
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 porque Yavé su ʼElohim va con ustedes para combatir por ustedes contra sus enemigos y para darles la victoria.
for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
5 Los oficiales hablarán al pueblo: ¿Quién edificó una casa y no la estrenó? Retírese y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y la estrene otro.
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 ¿Quien plantó una viña y no disfrutó de ella? Retírese y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y la disfrute otro.
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 ¿Quién está comprometido con una mujer, y aún no la tomó? Que se retire y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla y algún otro la tome.
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 Los oficiales volverán a hablar al pueblo: ¿Quién siente temor y está acobardado? Que se retire y vuelva a su casa, no sea que su cobardía desanime el corazón de sus hermanos.
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 Cuando los oficiales terminen de hablar al pueblo, designarán a los comandantes de los ejércitos que dirigirán al pueblo.
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 Cuando te acerques para atacar una ciudad, le ofrecerás condiciones de paz.
When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11 Si te responde con paz y se abre a ti, todos sus habitantes te servirán en trabajos forzados.
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 Pero si no acepta tu propuesta de paz y emprende guerra contra ti, entonces la sitiarás.
If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.
13 Cuando Yavé tu ʼElohim la entregue en tu mano, matarás a todos sus varones a filo de espada.
When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
14 Tomarás para ti las mujeres, los niños, el ganado y todo lo que hay en la ciudad, todo su botín. Te alimentarás del botín de tus enemigos, los cuales Yavé tu ʼElohim te entregó.
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 the LORD your God has given you.
15 Así harás a todas las ciudades que estén muy lejos de ti, que no sean de las ciudades de estas naciones.
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 Pero de las ciudades de estos pueblos que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como herencia, no dejarás con vida a ninguna persona.
But of the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;
17 Destruirás por completo al heteo, al amorreo, al cananeo, al ferezeo, al heteo y al jebuseo, como Yavé tu ʼElohim te mandó,
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you;
18 para que no les enseñen a hacer todas las repugnancias que ellos hicieron a sus ʼelohim, y ustedes pequen contra Yavé su ʼElohim.
that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you sin against the LORD your God.
19 Cuando sities una ciudad largo tiempo antes de hacer guerra contra ella a fin de capturarla, no destruyas con el hacha su arboleda, porque puedes comer de ella. No la cortes, porque ¿es el árbol del campo un hombre para que sea sitiado por ti?
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 Solo podrás destruir y cortar el árbol del cual tú sabes que no es frutal, para construir con él obras de asedio contra la ciudad que te hace la guerra, hasta que caiga.
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.
