Chapter 20

When thou goest out⁴ to battle against thine enemies,⁶ and seest¹ horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid⁴ of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up⁵⁶ out of the land of Egypt.

And it shall be, when ye are come nigh² unto the battle, that the priest shall approach⁸ and speak¹⁴ unto the people,

And shall say¹ unto them, Hear,³ O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies:⁶ let not your hearts faint,¹¹ fear⁴ not, and do not tremble,⁴ neither be ye terrified⁴ because of them;

For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth⁶ with you, to fight⁹ for you against your enemies,⁶ to save⁵³ you.

And the officers⁶ shall speak¹⁴ unto the people, saying,² What man [is there] that hath built¹ a new house, and hath not dedicated¹ it? let him go⁴ and return⁴ to his house, lest he die⁴ in the battle, and another man dedicate⁴ it.

And what man [is he] that hath planted¹ a vineyard, and hath not [yet] eaten¹⁴ of it? let him [also] go⁴ and return⁴ unto his house, lest he die⁴ in the battle, and another man eat¹⁷ of it.

And what man [is there] that hath betrothed¹⁴ a wife, and hath not taken¹ her? let him go⁴ and return⁴ unto his house, lest he die⁴ in the battle, and another man take⁴ her.

And the officers⁶ shall speak¹⁵ further¹ unto the people, and they shall say,¹ What man [is there that is] fearful and fainthearted? ³⁸²⁴ let him go⁴ and return⁴ unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint¹¹ as well as his heart.

And it shall be, when the officers⁶ have made an end¹⁵ of speaking¹⁵ unto the people, that they shall make¹ captains of the armies to lead the people.

When thou comest nigh⁴ unto a city to fight⁹ against it, then proclaim¹ peace unto it.

And it shall be, if it make thee answer⁴ of peace, and open¹ unto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people [that is] found¹² therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve¹ thee.

And if it will make no peace⁵⁵ with thee, but will make¹ war against thee, then thou shalt besiege¹ it:

And when the LORD thy God hath delivered¹ it into thine hands, thou shalt smite⁵² every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, [even] all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take⁴ unto thyself; and thou shalt eat¹ the spoil of thine enemies,⁶ which the LORD thy God hath given¹ thee.

Thus shalt thou do⁴ unto all the cities [which are] very far off from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these nations.

But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give⁶ thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive¹⁷ nothing that breatheth:

But thou shalt utterly⁵³ destroy⁵⁵ them; [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded¹⁴ thee:

That they teach¹⁷ you not to do² after all their abominations, which they have done¹ unto their gods; so should ye sin¹ against the LORD your God.

When thou shalt besiege⁴ a city a long time, in making war⁹ against it to take² it, thou shalt not destroy⁵⁵ the trees thereof by forcing² an axe against them: for thou mayest eat⁴ of them, and thou shalt not cut them down⁴ (for the tree of the field [is] man's [life]) to employ^{2 6440} [them] in the siege:

Only the trees which thou knowest⁴ that they [be] not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy⁵⁵ and cut them down;¹ and thou shalt build¹ bulwarks against the city that maketh⁶ war with thee, until it be subdued.²