Deuteronomy 20 – NIRV & JCB

New International Reader’s Version

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Going to War

1When you go to war against your enemies, you might see that they have horses and chariots. They might even have an army stronger than yours. But don’t be afraid of them. The Lord your God will be with you. After all, he brought you up out of Egypt. 2Just before you go into battle, the priest will come forward. He’ll speak to the army. 3He’ll say, “Men of Israel, listen to me. Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Don’t be scared. Don’t be afraid. Don’t panic or be terrified by them. 4The Lord your God is going with you. He’ll fight for you. He’ll help you win the battle over your enemies.”

5The officers will speak to the army. They will say, “Has anyone built a new house and not started to live in it? Let him go home. If he doesn’t, he might die in battle. Then someone else will live in his house. 6Has anyone planted a vineyard and not started to enjoy it? Let him go home. If he doesn’t, he might die in battle. Then someone else will enjoy his vineyard. 7Has anyone promised to be married to a woman but hasn’t done it yet? Let him go home. If he doesn’t, he might die in battle. Then someone else will marry her.” 8The officers will continue, “Is anyone afraid or scared? Let him go home. Then the other soldiers won’t lose hope too.” 9The officers will finish speaking to the army. When they do, they’ll appoint commanders over it.

10Suppose you march up to attack a city. Before you attack it, offer to make peace with its people. 11Suppose they accept your offer and open their gates. Then force all the people in the city to be your slaves. They will have to work for you. 12But suppose they refuse your offer of peace and prepare for battle. Then surround that city. Get ready to attack it. 13The Lord your God will hand it over to you. When he does, kill all the men with your swords. 14But you can take the women and children for yourselves. You can also take the livestock and everything else in the city. What you have captured from your enemies you can use for yourselves. The Lord your God has given it to you. 15That’s how you must treat all the cities far away from you. Those cities don’t belong to the nations that are nearby.

16But what about the cities the Lord your God is giving you as your own? Kill everything that breathes in those cities. 17Completely destroy them. Wipe out the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. That’s what the Lord your God commanded you to do. 18If you don’t destroy them, they’ll teach you to do all the things the Lord hates. He hates the way they worship their gods. If you do those things, you will sin against the Lord your God.

19Suppose you surround a city and get ready to attack it. And suppose you fight against it for a long time in order to capture it. Then don’t chop down its trees and destroy them. You can eat their fruit. So don’t cut them down. Are the trees people? So why should you attack them? 20But you can cut down trees that you know aren’t fruit trees. You can build war machines out of their wood. You can use them until you capture the city you are fighting against.

Japanese Contemporary Bible

申命記 20:1-20

20

戦いに出て行くとき

1戦いに出て行って、自分たちよりはるかに強い大軍を目の前にしても、馬や戦車の数に恐れをなしてはいけません。エジプトから安全に助け出してくださった主がついておられます。 2戦う前に、祭司はイスラエル全軍にこう告げなさい。 3『みなよく聞け。今日の戦いを恐れてはならない。 4あなたがたの神、主がわれわれの味方だ。主が戦われるからには、勝利は間違いなくわれわれのものだ。』

5続いて司令官は民に勧めなさい。『家を建てたばかりで、まだそれを奉献していない者はいないか。戦死でもして、ほかの者がその家を奉献することにならないように、すぐ家へ帰りなさい。 6ぶどうの木を植えて、まだその実を食べていない者はいないか。戦死でもして、ほかの者に食べられてはよくない。すぐ家へ帰りなさい。 7婚約したばかりの者はいないか。戦死したら、ほかの者がその娘と結婚することになる。今すぐ家へ帰り、結婚しなさい。 8おじけづいている者はいないか。そんな者がいたら、全体の士気に影響する。すぐに家へ帰りなさい。』 9民にそう告げ終わったら、司令官は各部隊の長の名を告げなさい。

10攻略しようとする町に近づいたら、まず降伏を勧めなさい。 11その町が降伏して門を開いた場合、住民は全員奴隷にしなさい。 12降伏を拒み、対戦するというのなら、町を包囲しなさい。 13そしてその町があなたがたの手に落ちたら、男はすべて打ちなさい。 14ただし、女と子ども、家畜、戦利品は自分たちのものにしてかまいません。 15これは、遠くの町々を攻めるときのことであって、約束の地においてはそうではありません。 16約束の地の中の町々では、住民を生かしておいてはなりません。 17ヘテ人、エモリ人、カナン人、ペリジ人、ヒビ人、エブス人を全滅させるのです。これは主の命令です。 18こうしないと、その地の住民があなたがたを惑わして、偶像礼拝をさせるかもしれません。あなたがたまで忌まわしい習慣に染まり、あなたがたの神、主にひどい罪を犯したら、取り返しがつきません。

19町を攻め取るときは、その町の木を全滅させないようにしなさい。木の実を取って食べてもよいが、切り倒してはいけません。木は敵ではないのです。 20食用にならない木は切り倒し、城攻め用のはしご、やぐら、兵器などを作りなさい。