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

“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 is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

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

So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

3 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;

And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;

4 p orque Jehová vuestro Dios va con vosotros, para pelear por vosotros contra vuestros enemigos, para salvaros.

for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

5 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 algún otro la estrene.

“Then 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.

6 ¿ 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 algún otro la disfrute.

Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

7 ¿ 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 algún otro la tome.

And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

8 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.

“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

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

And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

10 C uando te acerques a una ciudad para combatirla, le intimarás la paz.

“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.

11 Y si respondiere: Paz, y te abriere, todo el pueblo que en ella fuere hallado te será tributario, y te servirá.

And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.

12 M as si no hiciere paz contigo, y emprendiere guerra contigo, entonces la sitiarás.

Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

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

And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

14 S olamente 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.

But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.

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

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

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

“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,

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

but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

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

lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.

19 C uando sities a alguna ciudad, peleando contra ella muchos días para tomarla, no destruirás sus árboles metiendo hacha en ellos, porque de ellos podrás comer; y no los talarás, porque el árbol del campo no es hombre para venir contra ti en el sitio.

“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.

20 M as el árbol que sepas que no lleva fruto, podrás destruirlo y talarlo, para construir baluarte contra la ciudad que te hace la guerra, hasta sojuzgarla.

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