Deuteronomy 20

1 When thou goest out to battle against thy enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

'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;

2 And it shall be when ye are come nigh to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people,

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

and 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,

4 For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

for Jehovah your God [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] that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle, and another man should dedicate it.

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

'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 what man [is there] that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return to his house, lest he should die in battle, and another man should take her.

'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 officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart should faint as well as his heart.

'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;

9 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.

and 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 comest nigh to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

'When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace,

11 And it shall be, if it shall make thee answer of peace, and open to thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people [that are] found therein, shall be tributaries to thee, and they shall serve thee.

and 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 will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

'And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it,

13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thy hands, thou shalt smite every male of it with the edge of the sword:

and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten 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, shalt thou take to thyself: and thou shalt eat the spoil of thy enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

Only, 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.

15 Thus shalt thou do to all the cities [which are] very distant from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these nations.

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

16 But of the cities of these people which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

'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;

17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them, [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

for 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,

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

so 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 shalt besiege a city a long time in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees of it by forcing an ax against them; for thou mayest eat of them: and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field [is] man's [life] ) to employ [them] in the siege:

'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.

20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they [are] not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it shall be subdued.

Only, 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.