1 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 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 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 the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 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 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 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 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' heart faint as well as 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.
10 When you come near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11 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 And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:
13 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 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 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 these people, which the LORD your God does give you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes:
17 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 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 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' life) to employ them in the siege:
20 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.
1 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for Jehovah your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
2 And it shall be, when you approach the battle, that the priest shall draw near and speak to the people.
3 And he shall say to them, Hear, O Israel: Today you are approaching battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble nor be terrified before them;
4 for Jehovah your God is He who is going before you, to engage your enemies in battle, to deliver 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, that he not die in battle and another man dedicate it.
6 And what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, that he not die in battle and another man violate it.
7 And what man is there who has betrothed a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, that he not die in battle and another man take her.
8 And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, that the heart of his brethren not melt like his heart.
9 And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint commanders of the armies at the head of the people.
10 When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.
11 And it shall be that if they respond in peace and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be tributaries to you, and serve you.
12 But if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.
13 And when Jehovah your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.
14 But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoils, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the plunder of your enemies which Jehovah your God has given to you.
15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,
17 but you shall destroy to exterminate them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, as Jehovah your God has commanded you;
18 that they not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done unto their gods, and you sin against Jehovah your God.
19 When you besiege a city many days, to make war against it to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, if you can eat from them; do not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, to be besieged by you?
20 Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siege works against the city making war with you, until it is subdued.