King James Version

Deuteronomy 20:10-20

10When thou comest nighתִקְרַ֣בtik.RavH7126unto a cityעִ֔יר'IrH5892to fightלְהִלָּחֵ֖םle.hi.la.ChemH3898against it, then proclaimוְקָרָ֥אתָve.ka.Ra.taH7121peaceלְשָׁלֽוֹם׃le.sha.LomH7965unto it.

11And it shall be, if it make thee answerתַּֽעַנְךָ֔ta.'an.KhaH6030of peaceשָׁל֣וֹםsha.LomH7965,and openוּפָתְחָ֖הu.fa.te.ChahH6605unto thee, then it shall be, thatall the peopleהָעָ֣םha.'AmH5971that isfoundהַנִּמְצָא־ha.nim.tza'-H4672therein shall be tributariesלָמַ֖סla.MasH4522unto thee, and they shall serveוַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃va.'a.va.Du.khaH5647thee.

12And if it will make no peaceתַשְׁלִים֙tash.LimH7999with thee, but will makeוְעָשְׂתָ֥הve.'a.se.TahH6213warמִלְחָמָ֑הmil.cha.MahH4421against thee, then thou shalt besiegeוְצַרְתָּ֖ve.tzar.TaH6696it:

13And when the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430hath deliveredוּנְתָנָ֛הּu.ne.ta.NahH5414it into thine handsבְּיָדֶ֑ךָbe.ya.De.khaH3027,thou shalt smiteוְהִכִּיתָ֥ve.hi.ki.TaH5221every maleזְכוּרָ֖הּze.khu.RahH2138thereof with the edgeלְפִי־le.fi-H6310of the swordחָֽרֶב׃Cha.revH2719:

14But the womenהַ֠נָּשִׁיםHa.na.shimH802,and the little onesוְהַטַּ֨ףve.ha.TafH2945,and the cattleוְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הve.ha.be.he.MahH929,and all that is in the cityבָעִ֛ירva.'IrH5892, evenall the spoilשְׁלָלָ֖הּshe.la.LahH7998thereof, shalt thou takeתָּבֹ֣זta.VozH962unto thyself; and thou shalt eatוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ve.'a.khal.TaH398the spoilשְׁלַ֣לshe.LalH7998of thine enemiesאֹיְבֶ֔יךָ'o.ye.Vei.khaH341,which the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430hath givenנָתַ֛ןna.TanH5414thee.

15Thus shalt thou doתַּעֲשֶׂה֙ta.'a.SehH6213unto all the citiesהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםhe.'a.RimH5892which areveryמְאֹ֑דme.'OdH3966far offהָרְחֹקֹ֥תha.re.cho.KotH7350from thee, whichהֵֽנָּה׃He.nahH2007arenot of the citiesמֵעָרֵ֥יme.'a.ReiH5892of these nationsהַגּֽוֹיִם־ha.go.yim-H1471.

16But of the citiesמֵעָרֵ֤יme.'a.ReiH5892of these peopleהָֽעַמִּים֙ha.'a.MimH5971,which the Lordיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430doth giveנֹתֵ֥ןno.TenH5414thee foran inheritanceנַחֲלָ֑הna.cha.LahH5159,thou shalt save aliveתְחַיֶּ֖הte.chai.YehH2421nothing that breathethנְשָׁמָֽה׃ne.sha.MahH5397:

17But thou shalt utterlyהַחֲרֵ֣םha.cha.RemH2763destroyתַּחֲרִימֵ֗םta.cha.ri.MemH2763them; namely,the Hittitesהַחִתִּ֤יha.chi.TiH2850,and the Amoritesוְהָאֱמֹרִי֙ve.ha.'e.mo.RiH567,the Canaanitesהַכְּנַעֲנִ֣יha.ke.na.'a.NiH3669,and the Perizzitesוְהַפְּרִזִּ֔יve.hap.pe.ri.ZiH6522,the Hivitesהַחִוִּ֖יha.chi.ViH2340,and the Jebusitesוְהַיְבוּסִ֑יve.hay.vu.SiH2983;as the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃'e.lo.Hei.khaH430hath commandedצִוְּךָ֖tzi.ve.KhaH6680thee:

18That they teachיְלַמְּד֤וּye.la.me.DuH3925you not to doלַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla.'a.SotH6213after all their abominationsתּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔םto.'a.vo.TamH8441,which they have doneעָשׂ֖וּ'a.SuH6213unto their godsלֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑םle.lo.hei.HemH430;so should ye sinוַחֲטָאתֶ֖םva.cha.ta.TemH2398against the Lordלַיהוָ֥הla.Yah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ ס'e.lo.hei.KhemH430.

19When thou shalt besiegeתָצ֣וּרta.TzurH6696a cityעִיר֩'irH5892a longרַבִּ֜יםra.BimH7227timeיָמִ֨יםya.MimH3117,in making warלְֽהִלָּחֵ֧םle.hi.la.ChemH3898against it to takeלְתָפְשָׂ֗הּle.ta.fe.SahH8610it, thou shalt not destroyתַשְׁחִ֤יתtash.ChitH7843the treesעֵצָהּ֙'e.TzahH6086thereof by forcingלִנְדֹּ֤חַlin.Do.achH5080an axeגַּרְזֶ֔ןgar.ZenH1631against them: for thou mayest eatתֹאכֵ֔לto.KhelH398of them, and thou shalt not cut them downתִכְרֹ֑תtikh.RotH3772(for the treeעֵ֣ץ'etzH6086of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֔הha.sa.DehH7704isman’sהָֽאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120life)to employלָבֹ֥אla.Vo'H935themin the siegeמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃mi.pa.Nei.kha ba.ma.TzorH4692 H6440:

20Only the treesעֵ֣ץ'etzH6086which thou knowestתֵּדַ֗עte.Da'H3045that they benot treesעֵ֤ץ'etzH6086for meatמַאֲכָל֙ma.'a.KhalH3978,thou shalt destroyתַשְׁחִ֖יתtash.ChitH7843and cut them downוְכָרָ֑תָּve.kha.Ra.taH3772;and thou shalt buildוּבָנִ֣יתָu.va.Ni.taH1129bulwarksמָצ֗וֹרma.TzorH4692against the cityהָעִיר֙ha.'IrH5892that makethעֹשָׂ֧ה'o.SahH6213warמִלְחָמָ֖הmil.cha.MahH4421with thee, until it be subduedרִדְתָּֽהּ׃ פrid.TahH3381.

Read all of Deuteronomy 20

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20

King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)