דברים 20

1 כי תצא למלחמה על איבך וראית סוס ורכב עם רב ממך--לא תירא מהם כי יהוה אלהיך עמך המעלך מארץ מצרים

“If you go out to battle against your enemies, and you see horsemen and chariots, and that the multitude of your adversary’s army is greater than your own, you shall not fear them. For the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, is with you.

2 והיה כקרבכם אל המלחמה ונגש הכהן ודבר אל העם

Then, as the battle now draws near, the priest shall stand before the front ranks, and he shall speak to the people in this manner:

3 ואמר אלהם שמע ישראל אתם קרבים היום למלחמה על איביכם אל ירך לבבכם אל תיראו ואל תחפזו ואל תערצו--מפניהם

‘Listen, O Israel! Today you engage in a battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be overwhelmed with fear. Do not be apprehensive. Do not yield. You should have no dread of them.

4 כי יהוה אלהיכם ההלך עמכם--להלחם לכם עם איביכם להושיע אתכם

For the Lord your God is in your midst, and he will contend against your enemies on your behalf, so that he may rescue you from peril.’

5 ודברו השטרים אל העם לאמר מי האיש אשר בנה בית חדש ולא חנכו ילך וישב לביתו פן ימות במלחמה ואיש אחר יחנכנו

Likewise, the officers shall proclaim, throughout every company, in the hearing of the soldiers: ‘What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may dedicate it.

6 ומי האיש אשר נטע כרם ולא חללו--ילך וישב לביתו פן ימות במלחמה ואיש אחר יחללנו

What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet caused it to be common, so that all may eat from it? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in the battle, and another man may carry out his office.

7 ומי האיש אשר ארש אשה ולא לקחה--ילך וישב לביתו פן ימות במלחמה ואיש אחר יקחנה

What man is there, who has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go, and return to his house, lest perhaps he may die in battle, and another man may take her.’

8 ויספו השטרים לדבר אל העם ואמרו מי האיש הירא ורך הלבב ילך וישב לביתו ולא ימס את לבב אחיו כלבבו

After these things have been declared, they shall add the remainder, and shall say to the people: ‘What man is there who is overwhelmed by fear and is fainthearted? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he cause the hearts of his brothers to fear, just as he himself has been thoroughly stricken with fear.’

9 והיה ככלת השטרים לדבר אל העם ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם

And when the officers of the army have become silent, and have completed their speech, each one shall prepare his unit to wage war.

10 כי תקרב אל עיר להלחם עליה--וקראת אליה לשלום

When, at any time, you approach a city to fight against it, you shall first offer peace to it.

11 והיה אם שלום תענך ופתחה לך והיה כל העם הנמצא בה יהיו לך למס--ועבדוך

If they receive it, and open the gates to you, then all the people who are in it shall be saved, and they shall serve you by paying tribute.

12 ואם לא תשלים עמך ועשתה עמך מלחמה--וצרת עליה

But if they are not willing to enter into an agreement, and they begin to act against you in warfare, then you shall besiege it.

13 ונתנה יהוה אלהיך בידך והכית את כל זכורה לפי חרב

And when the Lord your God will have delivered it into your hands, you shall strike down anyone who is in it, of the male gender, with the edge of the sword,

14 רק הנשים והטף והבהמה וכל אשר יהיה בעיר כל שללה--תבז לך ואכלת את שלל איביך אשר נתן יהוה אלהיך לך

but not the women and young children, nor the cattle and the other things that are within the city. And you shall divide all the plunder to the soldiers, and you shall eat the spoils from your enemies, which the Lord your God will give to you.

15 כן תעשה לכל הערים הרחקת ממך מאד אשר לא מערי הגוים האלה הנה

So shall you do to all the cities which are at a great distance from you, those which are not among the cities that you shall receive as a possession.

16 רק מערי העמים האלה אשר יהוה אלהיך נתן לך נחלה--לא תחיה כל נשמה

But among those cities which shall be given to you, you shall not permit anyone at all to live.

17 כי החרם תחרימם החתי והאמרי הכנעני והפרזי החוי והיבוסי--כאשר צוך יהוה אלהיך

Instead, you shall put them to death with the edge of the sword, specifically: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.

18 למען אשר לא ילמדו אתכם לעשות ככל תועבתם אשר עשו לאלהיהם וחטאתם ליהוה אלהיכם

Otherwise, they may teach you to do all the abominations which they have committed for their own gods. And then you would sin against the Lord your God.

19 כי תצור אל עיר ימים רבים להלחם עליה לתפשה לא תשחית את עצה לנדח עליו גרזן--כי ממנו תאכל ואתו לא תכרת כי האדם עץ השדה לבא מפניך במצור

When you will have besieged a city for a long time, and you will have encircled it with fortifications, so that you may fight against it, you shall not cut down trees from which one is able to eat, neither shall you cause devastation with axes to the surrounding region. For it is a tree, and not a man. It is not able to increase the number of those who are fighting against you.

20 רק עץ אשר תדע כי לא עץ מאכל הוא--אתו תשחית וכרת ובנית מצור על העיר אשר הוא עשה עמך מלחמה--עד רדתה

But if there are any trees which are not fruitful, but are wild, and if these are fit for other uses, then cut them down, and make machines, until you have captured the city that is contending against you.”