The First Book of Moses, Commonly Called Deuteronomy (WEB)
20: 1When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people
more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought
you up out of the land of Egypt. 20:2It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall
approach and speak to the people, 20:3and shall tell them, Hear, Israel, you draw near this day to
battle against your enemies: don't let your heart faint; don't be afraid, nor tremble, neither be
scared of them; 20:4for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your
enemies, to save you. 20:5The officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there who has
built a new house, and has not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the
battle, and another man dedicate it. 20:6What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not
used the fruit of it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man
use the fruit of it. 20:7What man is there who has pledged to be married a wife, and has not taken
her? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 20:8The
officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there who is fearful and
faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart. 20:9It shall
be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains
of hosts at the head of the people. 20:10When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then
proclaim peace to it. 20:11It shall be, if it make you answer of peace, and open to you, then it shall
be, that all the people who are found therein shall become tributary to you, and shall serve you.
20:12If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:
20:13and when Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with
the edge of the sword: 20:14but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the
city, even all the spoil of it, shall you take for a prey to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your
enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you. 20:15Thus shall you do to all the cities which are
very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. 20:16But of the cities of these
peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that
breathes; 20:17but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the
Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you; 20:18that they not
teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so would you sin
against Yahweh your God. 20:19When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it
to take it, you shall not destroy the trees of it by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of
them, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged
of you? 20:20Only the trees of which you know that they are not trees for food, you shall destroy and
cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it fall.
World English Bible