Liber Deuteronomii, 20

1. Si exieris ad bellum contra hostes tuos et videris equita tus et currus et maiorem, quam tu habes, adversarii exercitus multitudinem, non timebis eos, quia Dominus Deus tuus tecum est, qui eduxit te de terra Aegypti.

1. "When you go forth to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, 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. Appropinquante autem iam proelio, stabit sacerdos ante aciem et sic loquetur ad populum:

2. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people,

3. “Audi, Israel: Vos hodie contra inimicos vestros pugnam committitis; non pertimescat cor vestrum, nolite metuere, nolite cedere nec formidetis eos,

3. and shall say to them, `Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; do not fear, or tremble, or be in dread of them;

4. quia Dominus Deus vester incedit vobiscum et pro vobis contra adversarios vestros dimicabit, ut eruat vos de periculo”.

4. for the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.'

5. Praefecti quoque per singulas turmas, audiente exercitu, proclamabunt: “Quis est homo, qui aedificavit domum novam et non dedicavit eam? Vadat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et alius dedicet illam.

5. Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, `What man is there that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

6. Quis est homo, qui plantavit vineam et necdum vindemiavit eam? Vadat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et alius homo vindemiet illam.

6. And what man is there that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

7. Quis est homo, qui despondit uxorem et non accepit eam? Vadat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et alius homo accipiat eam”.

7. And what man is there that has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.'

8. His dictis, addent reliqua et loquentur ad populum: “Quis est homo formidulosus et corde pavido? Vadat et revertatur in domum suam, ne pavere faciat corda fratrum suorum, sicut ipse timore perterritus est”.

8. And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest the heart of his fellows melt as his heart.'

9. Cumque praefecti finem loquendi ad populum fecerint, constituantur duces exercitus in capite populi.

9. And when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.

10. Si quando accesseris ad expugnandam civitatem, offeres ei primum pacem;

10. "When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.

11. si receperit et aperuerit tibi portas, cunctus populus, qui in ea est, serviet tibi sub tributo.

11. And if its answer to you is peace and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you.

12. Sin autem foedus inire noluerit et coeperit contra te bellum, oppugnabis eam.

12. But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it;

13. Cumque tradiderit Dominus Deus tuus illam in manu tua, percuties omne, quod in ea generis masculini est, in ore gladii

13. and when the LORD your God gives it into your hand you shall put all its males to the sword,

14. absque mulieribus et infantibus, iumentis et ceteris, quae in civitate sunt. Omnem praedam hanc diripies tibi et comedes de spoliis hostium tuorum, quae Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi.

14. but the women and the little ones, the cattle, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourselves; and you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.

15. Sic facies cunctis civitatibus, quae a te procul valde sunt et non sunt de gentium istarum urbibus, quas in possessionem accepturus es.

15. Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here.

16. De his autem civitatibus, quae dabuntur tibi, nullum omnino permittes vivere,

16. But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes,

17. sed interficies in ore gladii, Hetthaeum videlicet et Amorraeum et Chananaeum, Pherezaeum et Hevaeum et Iebusaeum, sicut praecepit tibi Dominus Deus tuus,

17. but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites, the Hivites and the Jeb'usites, as the LORD your God has commanded;

18. ne forte doceant vos facere cunctas abominationes, quas ipsi operati sunt diis suis, et peccetis in Dominum Deum vestrum.

18. that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices which they have done in the service of their gods, and so to sin against the LORD your God.

19. Quando obsederis civitatem multo tempore et munitionibus circumdederis, ut expugnes eam, non immittes securim in arbores eius, de quibus vesci potes, nec succidas eas. Numquid homo est arbor campi, ut eam obsideas?

19. "When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field men that they should be besieged by you?

20. Si qua autem ligna non sunt pomifera, succide illa et exstrue machinas, donec capias civitatem, quae contra te dimicat.

20. Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down that you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.