Deuteronomy 20

1 When thou shalt go forth to warre against thine enemies, and shalt see horses and charets, and people moe then thou, be not afrayde of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And when ye are come neere vnto the battel, then the Priest shall come forth to speake vnto the people,

And it shall be, when you are come near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

3 And shall say vnto them, Heare, O Israel: ye are come this day vnto battell against your enemies: let not your heartes faynt, neither feare, nor be amased, nor adread of them.

And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be you terrified because of them;

4 For ye Lord your God goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to saue you

For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

5 And let the officers speake vnto the people, saying, What man is there that hath buylt a new house, and hath not dedicate it? let him go and returne to his house, least he dye in the battel, and an other man dedicate it.

And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that 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 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyarde, and hath not eaten of the fruite? let him go and returne againe vnto his house, least he die in the battel, and another eate the fruite.

And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and returne againe vnto his house, lest he die in the battell, and another man take her.

And what man is there that 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.

8 And let the officers speake further vnto the people, and say, Whosoeuer is afrayde and faynt hearted, let him go and returne vnto his house, least his brethrens heart faynt like his heart.

And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

9 And after that the officers haue made an ende of speaking vnto the people, they shall make captaines of the armie to gouerne the people.

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

10 When thou commest neere vnto a citie to fight against it, thou shalt offer it peace.

When you come near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

11 And if it answere thee againe peaceably, and open vnto thee, then let all the people that is founde therein, be tributaries vnto thee, and serue thee.

And it shall be, if it make you answer of peace, and open to you, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries to you, and they shall serve you.

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

And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:

13 And the Lord thy God shall deliuer it into thine handes, and thou shalt smite all the males thereof with the edge of the sworde.

And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

14 Onely the women, and the children, and the cattel, and all that is in the citie, euen all the spoyle thereof shalt thou take vnto thy selfe, and shalt eate the spoyle of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee.

But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall you take to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.

15 Thus shalt thou do vnto all ye cities, which are a great way off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations here.

Thus shall 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 this people, which the Lord thy God shall giue thee to inherite, thou shalt saue no person aliue,

But of the cities of these people, which the LORD your God does give you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes:

17 But shalt vtterly destroy them: to wit, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee,

But you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you:

18 That they teache you not to doe after all their abominations, which they haue done vnto their gods, and so ye should sinne against the Lord your God.

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so should you sin against the LORD your God.

19 When thou hast besieged a citie long time, and made warre against it to take it, destroy not the trees therof, by smiting an axe into them: for thou mayest eate of them: therfore thou shalt not cut them downe to further thee in the siege, (for the tree of the field is mans life)

When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them: for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:

20 Onely those trees, which thou knowest are not for meate, those shalt thou destroy and cut downe, and make fortes against the citie that maketh warre with thee, vntil thou subdue it.

Only the trees which you know that they be not trees for meat, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued.