Deuteronomy 20

Laws of Warfare

1“WhenH3588 you goH3318 out to battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340 and seeH7200 1horsesH5483 and chariotsH7393 and peopleH5971 moreH7227 numerousH7227 thanH4480 you, 2do not be afraidH3372 of them; for the LordH3068 your GodH430, whoH834 broughtH5927 you up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714, is with you. 2When you are approachingH7126 the battleH4421, the priestH3548 shall comeH5066 nearH5066 and speakH1696 to the peopleH5971. 3He shall sayH559 to them, ‘HearH8085, O IsraelH3478, you are approachingH7126 the battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340 todayH3117. Do not be faintheartedH7401H3824. 3Do not be afraidH3372, or panicH2648, or trembleH6206 beforeH4480H6440 them, 4for the LordH3068 your GodH430 4is the one who goesH1980 with you, to fightH3898 for you againstH5973 your enemiesH340, to saveH3467 you.’ 5The officersH7860 also shall speakH1696 to the peopleH5971, sayingH559, ‘WhoH4310 is the manH376 that has builtH1129 a newH2319 houseH1004 and has not 5dedicatedH2596 it? Let him departH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 would dedicateH2596 it. 6WhoH4310 is the manH376 that has plantedH5193 a vineyardH3754 and has not 6begunH2490 to useH2490 its fruitH2490? Let him departH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 7would beginH2490 to useH2490 its fruitH2490. 78And whoH4310 is the manH376 that is engagedH781 to a womanH802 and has not 9marriedH3947 her? Let him departH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 10would marryH3947 her.’ 8Then the officersH7860 shall speakH1696 furtherH3254 to the peopleH5971 and sayH559, ‘11WhoH4310 is the manH376 that is afraidH3372 and faintheartedH7401H3824? Let him departH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, so that 12he might not make his brothers’H251 heartsH3824 meltH4549 like his heartH3824.’ 9When the officersH7860 have finishedH3615 speakingH1696 to the peopleH5971, they shall appointH6485 commandersH8269 of armiesH6635 at the headH7218 of the peopleH5971.

10“WhenH3588 you approachH7126 a cityH5892 to fightH3898 againstH5921 it, you shall 13offerH7121 it termsH7121 of peaceH7965. 11IfH518 it 14agreesH6030 to makeH6030 peaceH7965 with you and opensH6605 to you, then allH3605 the peopleH5971 who are foundH4672 in it shall becomeH1961 your 15forcedH4522 laborH4522 and shall serveH5647 you. 12However, ifH518 it does not makeH7999 peaceH7999 with you, but makesH6213 warH4421 againstH5973 you, then you shall besiegeH6696 it. 13When the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 it into your handH3027, 16you shall strikeH5221 allH3605 the 17menH2138 in it with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719. 14OnlyH7534 the womenH802 and the childrenH2945 and 18the animalsH929 and allH3605 that is in the cityH5892, allH3605 its spoilH7998, you shall takeH962 as bootyH962 for yourself; and you shall 19useH398 the spoilH7998 of your enemiesH340 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has givenH5414 you. 15ThusH3651 you shall doH6213 to allH3605 the citiesH5892 that are veryH3966 farH7350 from you, whichH834 are not of the citiesH5892 of theseH428 nationsH1471 20nearbyH2008. 1621OnlyH7534 in the citiesH5892 of theseH428 peoplesH5971 that the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159, you shall not leaveH2421 aliveH2421 anythingH3605 that breathesH5397. 17But you shall 22utterlyH2763 destroyH2763 them, the HittiteH2850 and the AmoriteH567, the CanaaniteH3669 and the PerizziteH6522, the HiviteH2340 and the JebusiteH2983, as the LordH3068 your GodH430 has commandedH6680 you, 18soH4616 that they may not teachH3925 you to doH6213 23according to allH3605 their detestableH8441 thingsH8441 whichH834 they have doneH6213 for their godsH430, so that you would 24sinH2398 against the LordH3068 your GodH430.

19“WhenH3588 you besiegeH6696 a cityH5892 a longH7227 timeH3117, to makeH3898 warH3898 againstH5921 it in order to captureH8610 it, you shall not destroyH7843 its treesH6086 by swingingH5080 an axeH1631 againstH5921 them; for you may eatH398 from them, and you shall not cutH3772 them downH3772. 25For is the treeH6086 of the fieldH7704 a manH120, that it should 26be besiegedH4692 by you? 20OnlyH7534 the treesH6086 whichH834 you knowH3045 27are not fruitH3978 treesH6086 you shall destroyH7843 and cutH3772 downH3772, that you may constructH1129 siegeworksH4692 againstH5921 the cityH5892 that is makingH6213 warH4421 with you untilH5704 it fallsH3381.