Deuteronomy 20

1 When thou shalt go forth to warre against thine enemies, and shalt see horses and charets, and people moe then thou, be not afrayde of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

“Ne mieyi aʋa, eye miekpɔ sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo wosɔ gbɔ fũu, eye miekpɔ aʋakɔ si sɔ gbɔ wu mia tɔ la, dzidzi megaƒo mi o! Yehowa, wò Mawu la, ame si kplɔ wò dedie tso Egipte la li kpli wò.

2 And when ye are come neere vnto the battel, then the Priest shall come forth to speake vnto the people,

Hafi miakpe aʋa la, na nunɔla aɖe natsi tsitre ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ la ŋgɔ, eye wòagblɔ be,

3 And shall say vnto them, Heare, O Israel: ye are come this day vnto battell against your enemies: let not your heartes faynt, neither feare, nor be amased, nor adread of them.

‘Miɖo tom, mi Israelviwo katã. Migavɔ̃ ne mieyi aʋa wɔ ge egbe o!

4 For ye Lord your God goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to saue you

Yehowa, mia Mawu la le yiyim kpli mi! Awɔ aʋa kple futɔ la na mi, eye wòana miaɖu dzi!’

5 And let the officers speake vnto the people, saying, What man is there that hath buylt a new house, and hath not dedicate it? let him go and returne to his house, least he dye in the battel, and an other man dedicate it.

“Ekema aʋakplɔlawo aƒo nu na aʋawɔlawo ale: ‘Mia dometɔ aɖe tso aƒe yeye, eye mekɔ eŋuti haɖe oa? Ne ele eme nenema la, ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa akɔ wò aƒe la ŋu!

6 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyarde, and hath not eaten of the fruite? let him go and returne againe vnto his house, least he die in the battel, and another eate the fruite.

Mia dometɔ aɖe de waingble yeye aɖe, eye meɖu waintsetse aɖeke tso agble la me haɖe oa? Ekema amea nayi aƒe me! Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ame bubu sãa aɖu eƒe waintsetse la!

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and returne againe vnto his house, lest he die in the battell, and another man take her.

Ɖe mia dometɔ aɖe bia nyɔnu ta ŋkeke siawo mea? Ekema amea natrɔ ayi aƒe me, eye wòaɖe nyɔnu la. Ɖewohĩ woawui le aʋa sia me, eye ŋutsu bubu aɖe sãa aɖe nyɔnu si ta wòbia.

8 And let the officers speake further vnto the people, and say, Whosoeuer is afrayde and faynt hearted, let him go and returne vnto his house, least his brethrens heart faynt like his heart.

Azɔ la, mia dometɔ aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ma? Ne ele vɔvɔ̃m la, ekema neyi aƒe me be màgade vɔvɔ̃ lãme na ame bubuawo o!’

9 And after that the officers haue made an ende of speaking vnto the people, they shall make captaines of the armie to gouerne the people.

“Ne aʋakplɔlawo wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ na ameawo nu la, woaɖe gbeƒã aʋafiawo ƒe ŋkɔwo.”

10 When thou commest neere vnto a citie to fight against it, thou shalt offer it peace.

“Ne èho aʋa ɖe du aɖe ŋu la, bia tso dua me tɔwo si gbã be woana ta.

11 And if it answere thee againe peaceably, and open vnto thee, then let all the people that is founde therein, be tributaries vnto thee, and serue thee.

Ne wolɔ̃ ɖe edzi, eye woʋu woƒe agbowo na wò la, ekema dua me tɔwo azu wò subɔlawo.

12 But if it will make no peace with thee, but make war against thee, then shalt thou besiege it.

Ne wogbe be yewomawɔ ŋutifafa kple wò o la, ekema ele be nàɖe to ɖe dua.

13 And the Lord thy God shall deliuer it into thine handes, and thou shalt smite all the males thereof with the edge of the sworde.

Ne Yehowa, wò Mawu la tsɔ du la de asi na wò la, ekema ele be nàwu ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe le dua me,

14 Onely the women, and the children, and the cattel, and all that is in the citie, euen all the spoyle thereof shalt thou take vnto thy selfe, and shalt eate the spoyle of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee.

ke àte ŋu agblẽ nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo, lãwo kple afunyinuwo katã ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo.

15 Thus shalt thou do vnto all ye cities, which are a great way off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations here.

Se siawo ku ɖe du siwo mele Ŋugbedodonyigba la ŋutɔ dzi o la ŋu.

16 But of the cities of this people, which the Lord thy God shall giue thee to inherite, thou shalt saue no person aliue,

“Ke migana ame aɖeke natsi agbe le Ŋugbedodonyigba si Yehowa wò Mawu tsɔ na wò la dzi o. Na woatsrɔ̃ nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe.

17 But shalt vtterly destroy them: to wit, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee,

Na woatsrɔ̃ Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo keŋkeŋ, abe ale si Yehowa, wò Mawu la de se na wòe ene.

18 That they teache you not to doe after all their abominations, which they haue done vnto their gods, and so ye should sinne against the Lord your God.

“Se sia ƒe taɖodzinue nye be wòana be anyigba la dzi tɔwo makplɔ mi ade woƒe legbawo subɔsubɔ kple woƒe kɔnyinyi vɔ̃ɖiwo me, eye miato esiawo me awɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa, wò Mawu la ŋu o.

19 When thou hast besieged a citie long time, and made warre against it to take it, destroy not the trees therof, by smiting an axe into them: for thou mayest eate of them: therfore thou shalt not cut them downe to further thee in the siege, (for the tree of the field is mans life)

“Ne èɖe to ɖe du aɖe la, mègagblẽ woƒe kutsetsetiwo o. Na miaɖu kutsetse siwo miate ŋui. Mègana woatso atiawo ƒu anyi dzodzro o. Atiawo menye futɔwo, eye wòle be nàna woatsrɔ̃ wo o!

20 Onely those trees, which thou knowest are not for meate, those shalt thou destroy and cut downe, and make fortes against the citie that maketh warre with thee, vntil thou subdue it.

Ke tso ati siwo ƒe kutsetsewo womeɖuna o la ƒu anyi; woatsɔ wo awɔ atrakpuiwo kple nu siwo ŋu dɔ nàwɔ le aʋa la wɔwɔ me.”