Deuteronomy 20

1 'When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot — a people more numerous than thou — thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God [is] with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt;

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

2 and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people,

And it shall be, when you are come near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

3 and said unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence,

And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be you terrified because of them;

4 for Jehovah your God [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies — to save you.

For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

5 'And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who [is] the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.

And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that 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.

6 'And who [is] the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.

And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7 'And who [is] the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her? — let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.

And what man is there that has betrothed 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.

8 'And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart? — let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart;

And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

9 and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.

And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

10 'When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace,

When you come near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

11 and it hath been, if Peace it answer thee, and hath opened to thee, then it hath come to pass — all the people who are found in it are to thee for tributaries, and have served thee.

And it shall be, if it make you answer of peace, and open to you, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries to you, and they shall serve you.

12 'And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it,

And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:

13 and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword.

And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

14 Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee.

But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall you take to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.

15 So thou dost do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

Thus shall you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.

16 'Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee [for] an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing;

But of the cities of these people, which the LORD your God does give you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes:

17 for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,

But you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you:

18 so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God.

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so should you sin against the LORD your God.

19 'When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down — for man's [is] the tree of the field — to go in at thy presence in the siege.

When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them: for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:

20 Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it [is] not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it.

Only the trees which you know that they be not trees for meat, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued.