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 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 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.

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

When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.

3 a nd 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,

He 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,

4 f or Jehovah your God He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies -- to save you.

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

5 ` And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who 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.

The 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.

6 ` And who 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.

Who 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.

7 ` And who 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 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.’

8 ` And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who 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;

Then 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.’

9 a nd 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.

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

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

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

11 a nd 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.

If 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.

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

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

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

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

14 O nly, 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.

Only 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.

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

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

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

Only 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.

17 f or 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, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you,

18 s o 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.

so 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.

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 the tree of the field -- to go in at thy presence in the siege.

“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?

20 O nly, the tree, which thou knowest that it 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 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.