Deuteronomy 20

1 When thou go forth to battle against thine enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shall not be afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

“When you go out to battle against your enemy, and have seen horse and chariot—a people more numerous than you—you are not afraid of them, for your God YHWH [is] with you, who is bringing you up out of the land of Egypt;

2 And it shall be, when ye draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

and it has been, in your drawing near to the battle, that the priest has come near, and spoken to the people,

3 and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw near this day to battle against your enemies. Let not your heart faint. Fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye frightened at them.

and said to them, Hear, O Israel: You are drawing near today to battle against your enemies, do not let your hearts be tender, do not fear, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence,

4 For Jehovah your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

for your God YHWH [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you.

5 And 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.

And the authorities have spoken to the people, saying, Who [is] the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used the fruit of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit of it.

And who [is] the man that has planted a vineyard and has not made it common? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.

7 And what man is there who has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

And who [is] the man that has betrothed a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.

8 And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart.

And the authorities have added to speak to the people and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart? Let him go and return to his house, and the heart of his brothers does not melt like his heart.

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.

And it has come to pass, as the authorities finish to speak to the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.

10 When thou draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you have called to it for peace,

11 And it shall be, if it makes to thee an answer of peace, and opens to thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found in it shall become tributary to thee, and shall serve thee.

and it has been, if it answers you [with] peace, and has opened to you, then it has come to pass, all the people who are found in it are for tributaries to you, and have served you.

12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shall besiege it.

And if it does not make peace with you, and has made war with you, then you have laid siege against it,

13 And when Jehovah thy God delivers it into thy hand, thou shall smite every male of it with the edge of the sword,

and your God YHWH has given it into your hand, and you have struck every male of it by the mouth of the sword.

14 but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil of it, thou shall take for a prey to thyself. And thou shall eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God has given thee.

Only, the women, and the infants, and the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you seize for yourself, and you have eaten the spoil of your enemies which your God YHWH has given to you.

15 Thus thou shall do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

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

16 But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shall save alive nothing that breathes,

Only, of the cities of these peoples which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance, you do not keep alive any [that are] breathing;

17 but thou shall utterly destroy them-the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-as Jehovah thy God has commanded thee,

for you certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as your God YHWH has commanded you,

18 that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods, so ye would sin against Jehovah your God.

so that they do not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you have sinned against your God YHWH.

19 When thou shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shall not destroy the trees of it by wielding an axe against them, for thou may eat of them. And thou shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by thee?

When you lay siege to a city [for] many days to fight against it, to capture it, you do not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for you eat of them, and you do not cut them down—for the tree of the field [is] man’s—to go in at your presence in the siege.

20 Only the trees of which thou know that they are not trees for food, thou shall destroy and cut them down. And thou shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with thee, until it falls.

Only, the tree of which you know that it [is] not a fruit-tree, you destroy it, and have cut [it] down, and have built a bulwark against the city which is making war with you until you have subdued it.”