Deuteronomy 20

1 When you march out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you must not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, he who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

2 When you are about to enter into battle, the priest must approach and speak to the people.

When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,

3 He must say to them, 'Listen, Israel, you are going to battle against your enemies. Do not let your hearts faint. Do not fear or tremble. Do not be afraid of them.

saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.

4 For Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies and to save you.'

For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

5 The officers must speak to the people and say, 'What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man dedicates it.

Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.

6 Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go home, so he will not die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

7 What man is there who is engaged to marry a woman but has not yet married her? Let him go home so that he does not die in battle and another man marries her.'

Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”

8 The officers must speak further to the people and say, 'What man is there who is fearful or fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, so that his brother's heart does not melt like his own heart.'

Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”

9 When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint commanders over them.

When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.

10 When you march up to attack a city, make those people an offer of peace.

When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.

11 If they accept your offer and open their gates to you, all the people who are found in it must become forced labor for you and must serve you.

If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.

12 But if it makes no offer of peace to you, but instead makes war against you, then you must besiege it,

But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.

13 and when Yahweh your God gives you victory and puts them under your control, you must kill every man in the town.

When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

14 But the women, the little ones, the cattle, and everything that is in the city, and all its spoil, you will take as booty for yourself. You will consume the booty of your enemies, whom Yahweh your God has given to you.

But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

15 You must act in this way toward all the cities that are very far from you, cities that are not of the cities of these following nations.

This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

16 In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must save alive nothing that breathes.

However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

17 Instead, you must completely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you.

For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,

18 Do this so that they do not teach you to act in any of their abominable ways, as they have done with their gods. If you do, you will sin against Yahweh your God.

so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

19 When you will besiege a city for a long time, as you wage war against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. For you may eat from them, so you must not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man whom you should besiege?

When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?

20 Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you may destroy and cut down; you will build siege works against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.

But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.