Deuteronomy 20
20
1When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them; 4for the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. 5And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof. 7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart. 9And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
10When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. 12And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13and when the LORD thy God delivereth it into thine hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16But of the cities of these peoples, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17but thou shalt utterly destroy them; the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. 19When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? 20Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.
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Deuteronomy 20: RV1895
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Deuteronomy 20
20
Laws Concerning Warfare
1“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see #[Josh. 17:18; Ps. 20:7; Isa. 31:1] horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is #ch. 31:6, 8; 2 Chr. 13:12; 32:8with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2And when you draw near to the battle, #[Num. 10:8, 9; 31:6]the priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4for the Lord your God is he who goes with you #ch. 1:30; 3:22; Josh. 23:10to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ 5Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is there any man who 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. 6And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not #ch. 28:30; Lev. 19:23-25; [1 Cor. 9:7]enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. 7#[ch. 24:5; 28:30]And is there any man who 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.’ 8And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, #[Judg. 7:3]‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’ 9And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
10“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, #Judg. 21:13; [ch. 2:26; 2 Sam. 20:18, 20]offer terms of peace to it. 11And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. 12But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13And when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, #Num. 31:7you shall put all its males to the sword, 14#Num. 31:9 but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you #Josh. 8:2 shall take as plunder for yourselves. And #Josh. 22:8you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you. 15Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. 16But #ch. 7:1, 2; Num. 33:52; Josh. 11:14in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17but #See ch. 7:2you shall devote them to complete destruction,#20:17 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction) the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, 18that #ch. 7:4; 12:30, 31; 18:9 they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you #Ex. 23:33sin against the Lord your God.
19“When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, #[2 Kgs. 3:19, 25]you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? 20Only the trees that 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.
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