1 ¶ When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and seest horses and chariots and a people more than thou, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

“When you go to battle against those who hate you and see more horses and war-wagons and soldiers than you have, do not be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, Who brought you from the land of Egypt, is with you.

2 A nd it shall be, when ye are come near unto the battle that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people

When you are coming near the battle, the religious leader will come near and speak to the people.

3 a nd shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them,

He will say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel. Today you are going into battle against those who hate you. Do not let your hearts become weak. Do not be afraid and shake in fear before them.

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

For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will fight for you against those who hate you. And He will save you.’

5 A nd the officers shall speak unto 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 peradventure he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

The leaders will speak to the people also, saying, ‘Is there anyone among you who has built a new house and has not given it to God? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in battle and another man will give it to God.

6 A nd who has planted a vineyard and has not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his house lest peradventure he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

Is there anyone who has planted grape vines and has not begun to eat their fruit? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in the battle and another man will begin to eat the fruit.

7 A nd what man is there that has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go and return unto his house lest peradventure he die in the battle and another man take her.

Is there a man who is promised in marriage to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in the battle and another man marry her.’

8 A nd the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and a coward at heart? Let him go and return unto his house that he not cause his brethren’s hearts to become as his heart.

Then the leaders will say to the people, ‘Is there a man here who is afraid and is weak in heart? Let him go and return to his house so he will not make his brothers’ hearts afraid like his heart.’

9 A nd it shall be when the officers have finished speaking unto the people that the captains of the armies shall lead before the people.

When the leaders have finished speaking to the people, they will choose heads of the army to lead the people.

10 ¶ When thou comest near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

“When you come near a city to fight against it, ask the people of the city if they would rather have peace.

11 A nd it shall be, if it makes thee an answer of peace and opens unto thee, that all the people that are found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

If they agree to make peace with you and open their gates to you, all the people who are found there will be made to work for you and serve you.

12 A nd if it will make no peace with thee but will make war against thee, and if thou should besiege it,

But if they do not make peace with you and fight against you, you must take the city in battle.

13 a nd if the LORD thy God should deliver it into thine hands, then thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.

When the Lord your God gives the city to you, you must kill all the men in it with the sword.

14 O nly the women and the little ones and the animals and all that is in the city, all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat of the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God has given thee.

Take for yourselves what is left, the women, the children, all the animals, and all that is in the city. Use what is left of those who fought against you, which the Lord your God has given you.

15 T hus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these Gentiles.

Do this to all the cities that are very far from you and are not of the cities of the nations that are near.

16 O nly of the cities of these peoples, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breathes;

But in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you for your own, do not leave alive anything that breathes.

17 b ut thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD thy God has commanded thee,

Destroy everything and everyone in them, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has told you.

18 t hat they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they do unto their gods, lest ye should sin against the LORD your God.

Then they will not teach you to do all the hated and sinful things they have done for their gods, and make you sin against the Lord your God.

19 W hen thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them, for thou may eat of them; and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege.

“When you stay around a city a long time, to make war against it and take it, do not destroy its trees with the ax. You may eat from them but do not cut them down. For are trees of the field men that they should be killed?

20 O nly the trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that makes war with thee, until it is subdued.

You may destroy and cut down only the trees you know are not fruit trees. Then you may build walls with the trees to help you fight against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.