Deuteronomy 20

Laws of Warfare

1“WhenH3588 you goH3318 outH3318 to battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340 and seeH7200 1horsesH5483, chariotsH7393, and peopleH5971 moreH7227 numerousH7227 thanH4480 you, 2do not beH3372 afraidH3372 of them; for the LordH3068 your GodH430, whoH834 broughtH5927 you upH5927 from the landH776 of EgyptH4714, is with you. 2When you are approachingH7126 the battleH4421, the priestH3548 shall comeH5066 forwardH5066 and speakH1696 to the peopleH5971. 3He shall sayH559 to them, ‘HearH8085, IsraelH3478, you are approachingH7126 the battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340 todayH3117. Do not be faintheartedH7401H3824. 3Do not beH3372 afraidH3372, or panicH2648, or be terrifiedH6206 by them, 4for the LordH3068 your GodH430 4is the One who is goingH1980 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 but has not 5dedicatedH2596 it? Let him goH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 would dedicateH2596 it. 6And whoH4310 is the manH376 that has plantedH5193 a vineyardH3754 but has not 6putH2490 it toH2490 useH2490? Let him goH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 7would putH2490 it toH2490 useH2490. 78And whoH4310 is the manH376 that is 9betrothedH781 to a womanH802 and has not 10marriedH3947 her? Let him goH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, otherwiseH6435 he might dieH4191 in the battleH4421 and anotherH312 manH376 would 11marryH3947 her.’ 8Then the officersH7860 shall speakH1696 furtherH3254 to the peopleH5971 and sayH559, ‘12WhoH4310 is the manH376 that isH3372 afraidH3372 and faintheartedH7401H3824? Let him goH1980 and returnH7725 to his houseH1004, so that 13he does not make his brothers’H251 heartsH3824 meltH4549 like his heartH3824!’ 9And when 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 14offerH7121 it termsH7121 of peaceH7965. 11And ifH518 it 15agreesH6030 toH6030 makeH6030 peaceH7965 with you and opensH6605 to you, then allH3605 the peopleH5971 who are foundH4672 in it shall becomeH1961 your 16forcedH4522 laborH4522 and 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, 17you shall strikeH5221 allH3605 the 18menH2138 in it with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719. 14HoweverH7534, the womenH802, the childrenH2945, 19the animalsH929, and everythingH3605 that is in the cityH5892, allH3605 of its spoilsH7998, you shall takeH962 as plunderH962 for yourself; and you shall 20useH398 the spoilsH7998 of your enemiesH340 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has givenH5414 you. 15ThisH3651 isH3651 whatH3651 you shall doH6213 to allH3605 the citiesH5892 that are veryH3966 farH7350 from you, whichH834 are not of the citiesH5892 of theseH428 nationsH1471 21nearbyH2008. 1622OnlyH7534 in the citiesH5892 of theseH428 peoplesH5971 that the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159, you shall not leaveH2421 anythingH3605 that breathesH5397 aliveH2421. 17InsteadH3588, you shall 23utterlyH2763 destroyH2763 them, the HittiteH2850 and the AmoriteH567, the CanaaniteH3669 and the PerizziteH6522, the HiviteH2340 and the JebusiteH2983, justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has commandedH6680 you, 18soH4616 thatH4616 they will not teachH3925 you to doH6213 2425allH3605 the same detestableH8441 practicesH8441 of theirs whichH834 they have doneH6213 for their godsH430, 26by which you would 27sinH2398 against the LordH3068 your GodH430.

19“WhenH3588 you besiegeH6696 a cityH5892 for 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, so you shall not cutH3772 them downH3772. For 28is the treeH6086 of the fieldH7704 a humanH120, that it should 29be besiegedH4692 by you? 20OnlyH7534 the treesH6086 that you knowH3045 30are not fruitH3978 treesH6086 you shall destroyH7843 and cutH3772 downH3772, so that you may constructH1129 siegeworksH4692 againstH5921 the cityH5892 that is makingH6213 warH4421 againstH5973 you untilH5704 it fallsH3381.