1 “ When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

2 W hen you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.

So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

3 H e shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,

And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;

4 f or the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

5 T he officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it.

“Then the 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.

6 W ho is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit.

Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

7 A nd who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’

And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

8 T hen the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘ Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’

“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

9 W hen the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

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

10 “ When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace.

“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.

11 I f it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.

And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.

12 H owever, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

13 W hen the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

14 O nly the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you.

But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.

15 T hus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.

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

16 O nly in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,

17 B ut you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you,

but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

18 s o that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.

lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.

19 “ When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?

“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.

20 O nly the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.