New American Standard Bible 1995

Deuteronomy 20:10-20

10“Whenכִּֽי־ki-H3588you approachתִקְרַ֣בtik.RavH7126a cityעִ֔יר'IrH5892to fightלְהִלָּחֵ֖םle.hi.la.ChemH3898againstעָלֶ֑יהָ'a.Lei.haH5921it, you shallofferH7121it termsH7121of peaceלְשָׁלֽוֹם׃le.sha.LomH7965.

11Ifאִם־'im-H518itagreesH6030to makeH6030peaceשָׁל֣וֹםsha.LomH7965with you and opensוּפָתְחָ֖הu.fa.te.ChahH6605to you, then allכָּל־kol-H3605the peopleהָעָ֣םha.'AmH5971who are foundהַנִּמְצָא־ha.nim.tza'-H4672in it shall becomeH1961yourforcedH4522laborלָמַ֖סla.MasH4522and shall serveוַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃va.'a.va.Du.khaH5647you.

12However, ifוְאִם־ve.'im-H518it does not makeתַשְׁלִים֙tash.LimH7999peaceH7999with you, but makesוְעָשְׂתָ֥הve.'a.se.TahH6213warמִלְחָמָ֑הmil.cha.MahH4421againstH5973you, then you shall besiegeוְצַרְתָּ֖ve.tzar.TaH6696it.

13When the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430givesוּנְתָנָ֛הּu.ne.ta.NahH5414it into your handבְּיָדֶ֑ךָbe.ya.De.khaH3027,you shall strikeוְהִכִּיתָ֥ve.hi.ki.TaH5221allכָּל־kol-H3605themenזְכוּרָ֖הּze.khu.RahH2138in it with the edgeלְפִי־le.fi-H6310of the swordחָֽרֶב׃Cha.revH2719.

14OnlyH7534the womenהַ֠נָּשִׁיםHa.na.shimH802and the childrenוְהַטַּ֨ףve.ha.TafH2945andthe animalsוְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הve.ha.be.he.MahH929and allוְכֹל֩ve.KholH3605that is in the cityבָעִ֛ירva.'IrH5892,allכָּל־kol-H3605its spoilשְׁלָלָ֖הּshe.la.LahH7998,you shall takeH962as bootyH962for yourself; and you shalluseוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ve.'a.khal.TaH398the spoilשְׁלַ֣לshe.LalH7998of your enemiesH340whichH834the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430has givenנָתַ֛ןna.TanH5414you.

15Thusכֵּ֤ןkenH3651you shall doתַּעֲשֶׂה֙ta.'a.SehH6213to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605the citiesהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםhe.'a.RimH5892that are veryמְאֹ֑דme.'OdH3966farהָרְחֹקֹ֥תha.re.cho.KotH7350from you, whichאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834are not of the citiesמֵעָרֵ֥יme.'a.ReiH5892of theseהָאֵ֖לֶּהha.'E.lehH428nationsהַגּֽוֹיִם־ha.go.yim-H1471nearbyH2008.

16OnlyH7534in the citiesמֵעָרֵ֤יme.'a.ReiH5892of theseהָאֵ֔לֶּהha.'E.lehH428peoplesהָֽעַמִּים֙ha.'a.MimH5971that the Lordיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430is givingנֹתֵ֥ןno.TenH5414you as an inheritanceנַחֲלָ֑הna.cha.LahH5159,you shall not leaveH2421aliveH2421anythingכָּל־kol-H3605that breathesנְשָׁמָֽה׃ne.sha.MahH5397.

17But you shallutterlyהַחֲרֵ֣םha.cha.RemH2763destroyתַּחֲרִימֵ֗םta.cha.ri.MemH2763them, the Hittiteהַחִתִּ֤יha.chi.TiH2850and the Amoriteוְהָאֱמֹרִי֙ve.ha.'e.mo.RiH567,the Canaaniteהַכְּנַעֲנִ֣יha.ke.na.'a.NiH3669and the Perizziteוְהַפְּרִזִּ֔יve.hap.pe.ri.ZiH6522,the Hiviteהַחִוִּ֖יha.chi.ViH2340and the Jebusiteוְהַיְבוּסִ֑יve.hay.vu.SiH2983,as the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃'e.lo.Hei.khaH430has commandedצִוְּךָ֖tzi.ve.KhaH6680you,

18soלְמַ֗עַןle.Ma.'anH4616that they may not teachיְלַמְּד֤וּye.la.me.DuH3925you to doלַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla.'a.SotH6213according to allכְּכֹל֙ke.KholH3605their detestableH8441thingsH8441whichH834they have doneעָשׂ֖וּ'a.SuH6213for their godsלֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑םle.lo.hei.HemH430, so that you wouldsinוַחֲטָאתֶ֖םva.cha.ta.TemH2398against the Lordלַיהוָ֥הla.Yah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ ס'e.lo.hei.KhemH430.

19“WhenH3588you besiegeתָצ֣וּרta.TzurH6696a cityעִיר֩'irH5892a longרַבִּ֜יםra.BimH7227timeיָמִ֨יםya.MimH3117,to makeH3898warH3898againstעָלֶ֣יהָ'a.Lei.haH5921it in order to captureלְתָפְשָׂ֗הּle.ta.fe.SahH8610it, you shall not destroyתַשְׁחִ֤יתtash.ChitH7843its treesעֵצָהּ֙'e.TzahH6086by swingingלִנְדֹּ֤חַlin.Do.achH5080an axeגַּרְזֶ֔ןgar.ZenH1631againstעָלָיו֙'a.LavH5921them; for you may eatתֹאכֵ֔לto.KhelH398from them, and you shall not cutתִכְרֹ֑תtikh.RotH3772them downH3772.For is the treeעֵ֣ץ'etzH6086of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֔הha.sa.DehH7704a manהָֽאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120, that it shouldbe besiegedבַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ba.ma.TzorH4692by you?

20OnlyH7534the treesעֵ֣ץ'etzH6086whichH834you knowתֵּדַ֗עte.Da'H3045are not fruitמַאֲכָל֙ma.'a.KhalH3978treesעֵ֤ץ'etzH6086you shall destroyתַשְׁחִ֖יתtash.ChitH7843and cutוְכָרָ֑תָּve.kha.Ra.taH3772downH3772,that you may constructוּבָנִ֣יתָu.va.Ni.taH1129siegeworksמָצ֗וֹרma.TzorH4692againstעַל־'al-H5921the cityהָעִיר֙ha.'IrH5892that is makingעֹשָׂ֧ה'o.SahH6213warמִלְחָמָ֖הmil.cha.MahH4421with you untilעַ֥ד'adH5704it fallsרִדְתָּֽהּ׃ פrid.TahH3381.

Read all of Deuteronomy 20

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20