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.

And if you should go forth to war against your enemies, and should see horse, and rider, and a people more numerous than yourself; you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God [is] with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

2 Njalo kuzakuthi, nxa selisondela empini, umpristi asondele akhulume labantu,

And it shall come to pass whenever you shall draw near to battle, that the priest shall draw near and speak to the people, and shall say to them,

3 athi kubo: Zwana, Israyeli! Selisondela empini lamuhla limelana lezitha zenu; inhliziyo yenu kayingapheli amandla; lingesabi, lingathuthumeli, lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yobukhona babo;

Hear, O Israel; you are going this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint, fear not, neither be confounded, neither turn aside from their face.

4 ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ohamba lani, ukulilwela ezitheni zenu, ukulisindisa.

For [it is] the Lord your God who advances with you, to fight with 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.

And the scribes shall speak to the people, saying, What man [is] he that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, 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 not been made merry with it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man be made merry with it.

7 Ngubani-ke umuntu ogane umfazi, engakamthathi? Kahambe abuyele endlini yakhe, hlezi afele empini, lomunye umuntu amthathe.

And what man [is] he that has betrothed 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.

And the scribes shall speak further to the people, and say, What man [is] he that fears and is cowardly in his heart? Let him go and return to his house, lest he make the heart of his brother fail, as his own.

9 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho izinduna seziqedile ukukhuluma labantu, bazabeka izinduna zebutho ephondo lwabantu.

And it shall come to pass when the scribes shall have ceased speaking to the people, that they shall appoint generals of the army to be leaders of the people.

10 Ekusondeleni kwakho emzini ukulwa umelene lawo, uzamemezela ukuthula kuwo.

And if you shall draw near to a city to overcome them by war, then call them out peaceably.

11 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ukuphendula ngokuthula, ukuvulela, khona bonke abantu abaficwa kuwo bazakuba yizibhalwa kuwe, bakusebenzele.

If then they should answer peaceably to you, and open to you, it shall be that all the people found in it shall be tributary and subject to you.

12 Kodwa uba ungenzi ukuthula lawe, kodwa usilwa lawe, uzawuvimbezela.

But if they will not listen to you, but wage war against you, you shall invest it;

13 Nxa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iwunikela esandleni sakho, uzatshaya wonke owesilisa wawo ngobukhali benkemba.

until the Lord your God shall deliver it into your hands, and 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.

except the women and the stuff: and all the cattle, and whatever shall be in the city, and all the plunder you shall take as spoil for yourself, and shall eat all the plunder of your enemies whom the Lord your God gives you.

15 Uzakwenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi ekhatshana kakhulu lawe, engeyisiyo yemizi yalezizizwe.

Thus shall you do to all the cities that are very far off from you, not [being] of the cities of these nations which the Lord your God gives you to inherit their land.

16 Kodwa emizini yalababantu iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika yona ukuba yilifa, kawuyikutshiya lutho luphila oluphefumulayo;

[Of these] you shall not take any thing alive;

17 kodwa uzabatshabalalisa lokubatshabalalisa: AmaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani lamaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, njengokukulaya kwayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.

but you shall surely curse them, the Chettite, and the Amorite, and the Chananite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Gergesite; as the Lord your God commanded you:

18 Ukuze bangalifundisi ukwenza njengazo zonke izinengiso zabo, abazenze kubonkulunkulu babo, ukuthi lone eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu.

that they may not teach you to do all their abominations, which they did to their gods, and [so] you should sin before 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.

And if you should besiege a city many days to prevail against it by war to take it, you shall not destroy its trees, by applying an iron tool to them, but you shall eat of it, and shall not cut it down: Is the tree that is in the field a man, to enter before you into the work of 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.

But the tree which you know to be not fruit-bearing, this you shall destroy and cut down; and you shall construct a mound against the city, which makes war against you, until it be delivered up.