Deuteronomy 20
20
1‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot — a people more numerous than thou — thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God [is] with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt;
2and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people,
3and said unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence,
4for Jehovah your God [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies — to save you.
5‘And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who [is] the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.
6‘And who [is] the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.
7‘And who [is] the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.
8‘And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart? — let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart;
9and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.
10‘When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace,
11and it hath been, if Peace it answer thee, and hath opened to thee, then it hath come to pass — all the people who are found in it are to thee for tributaries, and have served thee.
12‘And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it,
13and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword.
14Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee.
15So thou dost do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16‘Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee [for] an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing;
17for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,
18so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God.
19‘When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down — for man's [is] the tree of the field — to go in at thy presence in the siege.
20Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it [is] not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it.
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Deuteronomy 20: YLT98
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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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