1 “ When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

Cuando salgas a la guerra contra tus enemigos, si ves caballos y carros, y un pueblo más grande que tú, no tengas temor de ellos, porque está contigo Jehová tu Dios, el cual te sacó de tierra de Egipto.

2 W hen you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.

Y cuando os acerquéis para combatir, se pondrá en pie el sacerdote y hablará al pueblo,

3 H e shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,

y les dirá: Oye, Israel, vosotros os juntáis hoy en batalla contra vuestros enemigos; no desmaye vuestro corazón, no temáis, ni os azoréis, ni tampoco os desalentéis delante de ellos;

4 f or the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

porque Jehová vuestro Dios va con vosotros, para pelear por vosotros contra vuestros enemigos, para salvaros.

5 T he officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it.

Y los oficiales hablarán al pueblo, diciendo: ¿Quién ha edificado casa nueva, y no la ha estrenado? Vaya, y vuélvase a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro hombre la estrene.

6 W ho is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit.

¿Y quién ha plantado viña, y no ha disfrutado de ella? Vaya, y vuélvase a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro la disfrute.

7 A nd who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’

¿Y quién se ha desposado con mujer, y no la ha tomado? Vaya, y vuélvase a su casa, no sea que muera en la batalla, y otro hombre la tome.

8 T hen the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘ Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’

Y volverán los oficiales a hablar al pueblo, y dirán: ¿Quién es hombre medroso y pusilánime? Vaya, y vuélvase a su casa, y no apoque el corazón de sus hermanos, como el corazón suyo.

9 W hen the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

Y cuando los oficiales acaben de hablar al pueblo, entonces los capitanes del ejército tomarán el mando a la cabeza del pueblo. La conquista de las ciudades

10 “ When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace.

Cuando te acerques a una ciudad para combatirla, le propondrás la paz.

11 I f it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.

Y si responde: Paz, y te abre, todo el pueblo que en ella sea hallado te será tributario, y te servirá.

12 H owever, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Mas si no hace paz contigo, y emprende guerra contigo, entonces la sitiarás.

13 W hen the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

Luego que Jehová tu Dios la entregue en tu mano, herirás a todo varón suyo a filo de espada.

14 O nly the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you.

Solamente las mujeres y los niños, y los animales, y todo lo que haya en la ciudad, todo su botín tomarás para ti; y comerás del botín de tus enemigos, los cuales Jehová tu Dios te entregó.

15 T hus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.

Así harás a todas las ciudades que estén muy lejos de ti, que no sean de las ciudades de estas naciones.

16 O nly in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

Pero de las ciudades de estos pueblos que Jehová tu Dios te da por heredad, ninguna persona dejarás con vida,

17 B ut you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you,

sino que los destruirás completamente: al heteo, al amorreo, al cananeo, al ferezeo, al heveo y al jebuseo, como Jehová tu Dios te ha mandado;

18 s o that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.

para que no os enseñen a hacer según todas sus abominaciones que ellos han hecho para sus dioses, y pequéis contra Jehová vuestro Dios.

19 “ When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?

Cuando sities alguna ciudad, peleando contra ella muchos días para tomarla, no destruirás sus árboles metiendo hacha en ellos, sino que te alimentarás de ellos sin talarlos, porque el árbol del campo no es hombre para venir contra ti en el sitio.

20 O nly the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Mas el árbol que sepas que no es frutal, podrás destruirlo y talarlo, para construir baluarte contra la ciudad que te hace la guerra, hasta sojuzgarla.