Teutalonome 20

1 “ʻOka ke ka ʻalu ke tauʻi ho ngaahi fili, mo ke mamata ki he fanga hoosi, mo e ngaahi saliote, mo e kakai ʻoku tokolahi hake ʻiate koe, ʻoua naʻa ke manavahē kiate kinautolu: he ʻoku ʻiate koe ʻa Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, ʻaia naʻa ne ʻomi koe mei he fonua ko ʻIsipite.

“When your [soldiers] go to fight your enemies, and you see that they have many horses and chariots and that their army is much bigger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God, who brought your [ancestors safely] out of Egypt, will be with you.

2 Pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi hoʻomou hoko ʻo ofi ki he tau, ʻe ʻunuʻunu mai ʻae taulaʻeiki ʻo lea ki he kakai,

When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.

3 Pea ʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, ‘Fanongo, ʻE ʻIsileli, ʻoku mou hoko ʻo ofi he ʻaho ni ke tau mo homou ngaahi fili: ʻoua naʻa mou loto foʻi, pea ʻoua naʻa mou manavahē, pe tetetete, pe lilika kiate kinautolu;

He must say to them, ‘You Israeli men, listen to me! Today you are going to fight against your enemies. Do not be timid or afraid [DOU] or tremble or panic [DOU],

4 He ko Sihova ko homou ʻOtua ia ʻaia ʻoku ʻalu mo kimoutolu, ke tauʻi homou ngaahi fili maʻamoutolu, ke fakamoʻui ʻakimoutolu.’

because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’

5 “Pea ʻe lea ʻae kau matāpule ki he kakai, ʻo pehē, ‘Ko hai ha tangata kuo ne langa ha fale foʻou, pea ʻoku teʻeki ai hūfia ia; ke ʻalu ia ʻo foki ki hono fale, telia naʻa mate ia ʻi he tau, pea huufi ia ʻe ha tangata kehe.

Then the army officers must say to the troops, ‘If anyone among you has just built a new house [RHQ] and has not dedicated it [to God], he should go home [and dedicate the house]. If he does not do that, if he dies in the battle, someone else will dedicate the house [and live in it].

6 Pea ko hai ha tangata kuo ne tō ʻae ngoue vaine, pea ʻoku teʻeki ai te ne kai mei ai? Ke ʻalu ia ʻo foki ki hono fale, telia naʻa mate ia ʻi he tau, pea kai mei ai ʻe ha tangata kehe.

If anyone among you has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested any grapes from it [RHQ], he should go home. If he [stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will [harvest the grapes and] enjoy [the wine made from them].

7 Pea ko hai ha tangata kuo poloʻi ha fefine kiate ia, pea ʻoku teʻeki ai te ne maʻu ia? Ke ʻalu ia pea foki ki hono fale, telia naʻa mate ia ʻi he tau, pea maʻu ia ʻe ha tangata kehe.’

If anyone among you has become engaged to marry a woman [but has not married her yet] [RHQ], he should go home. If [he stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will marry her.’

8 Pea ʻe toe lea ʻae kau matāpule ki he kakai, pea tenau pehē, ‘Ko hai ha tangata ʻoku manavahē mo loto foʻi? Ke ʻalu ia ʻo foki ki hono fale, telia naʻa vaivai foki ʻae loto ʻo hono ngaahi kāinga ʻo hangē ko hono loto.’

“Then the officers must also say, ‘If anyone among you is afraid or timid [RHQ], he should go home, in order that he does not cause his fellow soldiers to also stop being courageous.’

9 Pea ʻe pehē, ʻoka hili ʻae lea ʻae kau matāpule ki he kakai tenau toki fakanofo ʻae kau ʻeikitau ki he kau tau kenau taki ʻae tau.

And when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].

10 “ʻOka ke ka hoko ʻo ofi ki ha kolo ke tauʻi ia, te ke fakahā ʻae melino ki ai.

“When you come near a city [that is far away] to attack it, first tell the people there that if they surrender, you will not attack them.

11 Pea ʻe pehē, kapau ʻoku tali fakamelino ia, pea ʻoku toʻo ia kiate koe, pea ʻe toki pehē, ko e kakai kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi ai ʻe hopoate kotoa pē kiate koe, pea tenau tauhi koe.

If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.

12 Pea kapau ʻe ʻikai fai ia ha fakalelei mo koe, ka ʻoku loto ke tauʻi koe, te ke toki tauʻi ia:

But if they refuse to [surrender] peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city [and break through the walls].

13 Pea hili hono tuku ia ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ki ho nima, te ke taaʻi ʻae tangata kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi ai ʻaki ʻae mata ʻoe heletā:

Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.

14 Ka ko e kau fefine, mo e fānau siʻi, mo e fanga manu, mo e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi he kolo, ʻio, ko e meʻa vete kotoa pē ʻo ia, ke ke toʻo kiate koe; pea ke kai ʻae meʻa vete ʻa ho ngaahi fili, ʻaia kuo foaki ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua kiate koe.

But you are allowed to take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else [that you want to take] from the city. You will be allowed to enjoy all the things that belonged to your enemies; it is Yahweh our God who has given those things to you.

15 Ke ke fai pehē pe ki he ngaahi kolo ʻaia ʻoku mamaʻo ʻaupito meiate koe, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ʻi he ngaahi kolo ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ni.

You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.

16 Ka ko e ngaahi kolo ʻae kakai ni, ʻaia ʻoku foaki kiate koe ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ko ho tofiʻa, ʻoua naʻa ke fakamoʻui ha tokotaha ʻoku mānava:

“But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].

17 Ka te ke fakaʻauha ʻaupito ʻakinautolu; ʻae kau Heti, mo e kau ʻAmoli, mo e kau Kēnani, mo e kau Pelesi, mo e kau Hevi, mo e kau Sepusi; ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻa Sihova ko ho ʻOtua kiate koe:

You must get rid of them completely. Get rid of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group; that is what Yahweh our God commanded you to do.

18 Koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa nau ako kiate kimoutolu ke fai ʻo hangē ko ʻenau ngaahi ngāue kovi ki honau ngaahi ʻotua: pea mou fai angahala ai kia Sihova ko homou ʻOtua.

If you do not do that, they will teach you to sin against Yahweh our God and do the disgusting things that they do when they worship their gods.

19 “ʻOka ke ka kāpui ha kolo ʻo fuoloa, ʻi hoʻo tauʻi ia ke lavaʻi, ʻoua naʻa ke maumauʻi ʻae ngaahi ʻakau ʻo ia ʻi hoʻo ʻai mālohi ʻae toki ki ai: he koeʻuhi te ke kai mei ai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke tā hifo ia ke ngāueʻaki ʻi he tau, (he ko e ʻakau ʻoe ngoue ko e moʻui ia ʻae tangata: )

“When you surround a city for a long time, trying to capture it, do not cut down the fruit trees [outside the city]. You are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees, but do not get rid of the trees, because they certainly are not [RHQ] your enemies.

20 Ka ko e ngaahi ʻakau ʻoku ke ʻilo ʻoku ʻikai ko e ngaahi ʻakau fua ke kai, ke ke maumau mo ke tā hifo ia, pea te ke tanu puke ki he kolo ʻoku ne tauʻi koe kaeʻoua ke ke lavaʻi ia.

You are permitted to cut down the other trees and use the wood to make ladders and towers to enable you to [go over the walls and] capture the city.”