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.

Naar du drager i Krig mod din Fjende og faar Øje paa Heste, Vogne og Krigsfolk, der er talrigere end du selv, skal du ikke blive bange for dem; thi HERREN din Gud er med dig, han, som førte dig op fra Ægypten.

2 It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

Naar I rykker ud til Kamp, skal Præsten træde frem og tale til Folket,

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;

og han skal sige til dem: »Hør, Israel! I rykker i Dag ud til Kamp mod eders Fjender, lad ikke eders Hjerte være forsagt, frygt ikke, forfærdes ikke og vær ikke bange for dem!

4 for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Thi HERREN eders Gud drager med eder for at stride for eder mod eders Fjender og give eder Sejr.«

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.

Og Tilsynsmændene skal tale saaledes til Folket: »Er der nogen, som har bygget et nyt Hus og endnu ikke indviet det, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal indvie det, om han falder i Slaget.

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.

Og er der nogen, som har plantet en Vingaard og ikke taget den i Brug, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal tage den i Brug, om han falder i Slaget.

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.”

Og er der nogen, som har trolovet sig med en Kvinde, men endnu ikke taget hende til Hustru, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke en anden skal tage hende til Hustru, om han falder i Slaget.«

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.”

Og Tilsynsmændene skal fremdeles tale til Folket og sige: »Er der nogen, som er bange og forsagt, maa han have Lov at vende hjem til sit Hus, for at ikke hans Brødre skal blive forsagte, som han selv er det!«

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.

Naar saa Tilsynsmændene er færdige med at tale til Folket, skal der sættes Høvedsmænd i Spidsen for Folket.

10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

Naar du rykker frem til Angreb paa en By, skal du først tilbyde den Fred.

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.

Hvis den da tager mod Fredstilbudet og aabner sine Porte for dig, skal alle Folk, som findes i den, være dine livegne og trælle for dig.

12 If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Vil den derimod ikke slutte Fred, men kæmpe med dig, da skal du belejre den,

13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;

og naar HERREN din Gud giver den i din Haand, skal du hugge alle af Mandkøn ned med Sværdet.

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.

Men Kvinderne, Børnene, Kvæget og alt, hvad der er i Byen, alt, hvad der røves i den, maa du tage som Bytte, og du maa gøre dig til gode med det, som røves fra dine Fjender, hvad HERREN din Gud giver dig.

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.

Saaledes skal du bære dig ad med alle de Byer, som ligger langt fra dig og ikke hører til disse Folkeslags Byer her;

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;

men i disse Folks Byer, som HERREN din Gud giver dig i Eje, maa du ikke lade en eneste Sjæl i Live.

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;

Paa dem skal du lægge Band, paa Hetiterne, Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Perizziterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne, som HERREN din Gud har paalagt dig,

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.

for at de ikke skal lære eder at efterligne alle deres Vederstyggeligheder, som de øver til Ære for deres Guder, saa I forsynder eder mod HERREN eders Gud.

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?

Naar du ved Belejringen af en By maa holde den indesluttet i lang Tid for at indtage den, maa du ikke ødelægge de Træer, der hører til den, ved at svinge Øksen imod dem; fra dem faar du Føde; dem maa du ikke hugge om; thi mon Markens Træer er Mennesker, at de ogsaa skulde rammes af Belejringen?

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.

Kun Træer, du ved, ikke bærer spiselig Frugt, maa du ødelægge og fælde for at bygge Belejringsværker mod den By, som er i Krig med dig, til den falder.