< Deuteronomy 20 >

1 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.
當你出征進攻你的仇敵,見到戰馬戰車和比你更多的群眾時,你不必害怕,因為領你出埃及地的上主你的天主與你在一起。
2 It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
當你們快要交戰時,司祭應上前來,對民眾訓話,
3 and shall tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart faint! Do not be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them;
向他們說:「以色列,請聽! 你們今天就要上陣攻打你們的仇敵,你們不要灰心,不要害怕,不要恐慌,不要在他們面前戰慄,
4 for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
因為上主你們的天主與你們同去,幫助你們攻打你們的仇敵,使你們勝利。」
5 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.
然後長官對民眾說:「誰若蓋了新房屋,還沒有祝聖,他可回家去,免得他死在戰場,別人來替他祝聖。
6 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.
誰若栽種了葡萄園,還沒有享用過,他可回家去,免得他死在戰場,別人來替他收穫。
7 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.”
誰若與女人訂了婚,還沒有迎娶,他可回家去,免得他死在戰場,別人來娶她。」
8 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.”
長官再繼續對民眾致辭說:「誰若害怕灰心,他可回家去,免得他使兄弟的心,如他的一樣沮喪。」
9 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.
長官向民眾訓完話,就派定軍官統率部隊。
10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
當你臨近一城要進攻時,應先向那城提議和平;
11 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.
若那地給你和平的答覆,給你開門,城內所有的人民就臣服於你,給你服役。
12 If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.
如不與你講和,反願與你作戰,你就圍攻。
13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
幾時上主你的天主將城交在你手中,你應用利刃殺盡所有的男人;
14 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.
至於婦女、嬰兒、牲畜和在城內所有的一切,算是你奪得的勝利品,你可享用你由仇人奪得的勝利品,因為是上主你的天主賜給你的。
15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
這是你對於離你很遠,且不屬於這些民族的城市的作法。
16 But of the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;
但是在上主你的天主賜給你作產業的這些人民的城市內,你不可讓任何生靈生活,
17 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;
應將他們:即赫特人、阿摩黎人。客納罕人、培黎齊人、希威人和耶步斯人,盡行毀滅,如上主你的天主吩咐你的,
18 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.
免得他們教你學習他們對自己的神所行的一切可惡之事,使你們得罪上主你們的天主。
19 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?
若你圍攻一座城,需要多日纔能攻取佔領,你不可用斧頭砍伐那裏的樹木;你可以吃樹上的果子,卻不可砍倒樹;難道田間的樹可當作你圍攻的敵人看待﹖
20 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.
只是那些你不知道不結實的樹木,你可毀壞砍伐,用來建築圍攻的設備,為進攻與你交戰的城市,直到將城攻下。

< Deuteronomy 20 >