Deuteronomio 20
1 Cuando saliendo a la guerra contra tus enemigos vieres caballos y carros y gente más numerosa que tú, no los temas; porque Yahvé, tu Dios, el que te sacó del país 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 os dispongáis al combate, se acercará el sacerdote 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 le dirá: ‘Escucha Israel: os dispondréis hoy para pelear contra vuestros enemigos; no desmaye vuestro corazón; no temáis, no os asustéis, ni os amedrentéis 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 pues Yahvé, vuestro Dios, marcha con vosotros para pelear por vosotros contra vuestros enemigos para salvaros.’
for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
5 Los capitanes hablarán al pueblo, diciendo: ‘¿Quién ha edificado una casa nueva y no la ha estrenado? Váyase y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla y otro hombre la estrene.
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 ¿Quién ha plantado una viña y no ha comenzado aún a disfrutarla? Váyase y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla y otro hombre goce de ella.
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 se ha desposado con una mujer, y aún no la ha tomado? Váyase y vuelva a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla y otro hombre se case con ella.’
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 capitanes se dirigirán de nuevo al pueblo y dirán: ‘¿Quién tiene miedo y es tímido de corazón? Váyase y vuelva a su casa, no sea que el corazón de sus hermanos desfallezca así como el corazón suyo.’
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 Y cuando los capitanes hayan acabado de hablar al pueblo, los jefes de las tropas se pondrán al frente del 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 En el caso de acercarte a una ciudad para atacarla le ofrecerás la paz.
When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11 Si la acepta, y te abre, toda la gente que se hallare dentro será tributaria tuya y te servirá.
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 labourers to you, and shall serve you.
12 Mas si no hace paz contigo, y empieza a hacerte guerra, la sitiarás;
If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.
13 y cuando Yahvé tu Dios, la entregare en tu mano pasarás a cuchillo a todos sus varones;
When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
14 pero las mujeres, los niños y los ganados, con todo lo que se halle dentro de la ciudad, todo su botín lo tomarás para ti, y comerás de los despojos de tus enemigos, que Yahvé, tu Dios, ha entregado en tus manos.
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 con todas las ciudades muy distantes de ti y que no sean de las ciudades de estos pueblos.
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 en cuanto a las ciudades de estos pueblos que Yahvé, tu Dios, te da por herencia, no dejarás con vida alma alguna,
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 sino que entregarás al anatema a los heteos, amorreos, cananeos, fereceos, heveos y jebuseos, como Yahvé, tu Dios, te lo ha mandado,
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 a fin de que no os enseñen a imitar todas las abominaciones que ellos practican con sus dioses, y para que no pequéis contra Yahvé, Dios vuestro.
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 sitiares una ciudad por mucho tiempo, peleando contra ella para conquistarla, no destruirás sus árboles, alzando contra ellos el hacha; porque de ellos podrás comer; no los cortarás. ¿Acaso son hombres los árboles del campo y necesitan ser sitiados?
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 axe 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 Solamente los árboles que tú sabes que no son frutales, podrás destruir cortándolos para construir fortificaciones contra la ciudad que te hace guerra hasta que se rinda.
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.
