Deuteronomy Chapter 20

  Laws Of War

1. “Wen una go out to fight una enemies, and una see horses plus horse-moto, and pipo wey plenty pass  una, make una no fear dem; becos Baba-God una Oga, dey wit una, and nahin carry una komot from Egypt.
2. So e go happun sey wen una wan fight war di priest  go come meet una to follow una tok.
3. He go tell dem sey, ‘Oh Israel, make una hear: Today una wan go fight war wit una enemies. Make  una no let una mind-cut, no let fear catch una, and make una no shake, or let fear gbab una becos of  dem;
4. Becos na Baba-God una Oga dey follow una go—to  fight for una against una enemies, and to save una.’
5. “Den di officers go follow di pipo tok sey, ‘Abi any pesin dey for here wey don build new house—but he neva bless di house? Make he dey go back to hin  house, so dat he no go die for war, and anoda man go con bless hin house.
6. Abi e get any man wey dey for here wey just plant grape-farm, and wey neva chop from am? Make he  go back to hin house, so dat he no go die for war and anoda man go chop hin grape-farm.
7. Abi e get any man wey dey for here—wey don promise to marry hin woman—but he neva do marriage? Make he dey go back to hin house, so dat he no go die for war, and anoda man go con marry hin woman.’
8. “Di officers go still follow di pipo tok sey, ‘Abi e get  any man wey dey for here—wey dey fear, and wey hin mind dey cut? Make he dey go back to hin house, so dat he no go make hin brodas mind dey cut like hin mind.’
9. And naso e go be, wen di officers don follow di pipo tok finish, dem go make di commanders of di armies lead di pipo.
10. Wen una go near any city to fight against di city, make una try to make agreement of peace wit dem.
11. And if dem accept una agreement of peace, and dem open dia gates to una, den all di pipo wey dey  for dat city go dey do slave-work for una, dem go serve una, con pay tax to una.
12. But of di city no gree make peace wit una, and dem  con dey fight war against una, den make una surround di city.
13. And wen Baba-God una Oga don put di city for una  hand, make una use sword take kill everi man.
14. But make una carry di women, plus di malu, small-smal pikin, plus everitin wey dey for inside di city— make una collect everitin, con claim dem as una property. And una go chop wetin belong to una enemies—wey Baba-God don give una.
15. Naso una go do di cities wey dey far-far—from di  land wey una settle down put—cities wey no dey  among dis nations around una.
16. “But di cities of dis pipo wey Baba-God don give una dia land as una property—make una no let any  life survive.
17. Make una scata dem kpatakpata: di Hittites, plus di Amorite, Canaanites, Perizzites, plus di Hivites, and Jebusites—just as Baba-God bin tell una to do,
18. Kill dem so dat dem no go teach una how to serve dia idols wit all dia mumu tins, and so dat una no go  commit sin against Baba-God una Oga.
19. Wen una surround di city for long time, as una dey fight war wit dem to take-over dia land, make una no  kill di trees by cutting dem wit axe to use take build wall to attack una enemies. No cut dem down, but una fit chop dia fruits, becos di trees for di land na food for man.
20. Only di trees wey una know sey e no dey produce food—nahin una fit cut, to build wall to attack di city  wey una dey follow fight until una take-over di place.