Deuteronomy 20 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Laws of Warfare

1 “When ^H3588 you go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to battle ^H4421 against ^H5921 your enemies ^H340 and see ^H7200 horses ^H5483, chariots ^H7393, and people ^H5971 more ^H7227 numerous ^H7227 than ^H4480 you, do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 of them; for the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430, who ^H834 brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, is with you.

2 When you are approaching ^H7126 the battle ^H4421, the priest ^H3548 shall come ^H5066 forward ^H5066 and speak ^H1696 to the people ^H5971. 3 He shall say ^H559 to them, ‘Hear ^H8085, Israel ^H3478, you are approaching ^H7126 the battle ^H4421 against ^H5921 your enemies ^H340 today ^H3117. Do not be fainthearted ^H7401 H3824. Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, or panic ^H2648, or be terrified ^H6206 by them, 4 for the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is the One who is going ^H1980 with you, to fight ^H3898 for you against ^H5973 your enemies ^H340, to save ^H3467 you.’ 5 The officers ^H7860 also shall speak ^H1696 to the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, ‘Who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that has built ^H1129 a new ^H2319 house ^H1004 but has not dedicated ^H2596 it? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, otherwise ^H6435 he might die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 would dedicate ^H2596 it. 6 And who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that has planted ^H5193 a vineyard ^H3754 but has not [fn]put ^H2490 it to ^H2490 use ^H2490? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, otherwise ^H6435 he might die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 [fn]would put ^H2490 it to ^H2490 use ^H2490. 7 And who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that is [fn]betrothed ^H781 to a woman ^H802 and has not [fn]married ^H3947 her? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, otherwise ^H6435 he might die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 would [fn]marry ^H3947 her.’ 8 Then the officers ^H7860 shall speak ^H1696 further ^H3254 to the people ^H5971 and say ^H559, ‘Who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that is ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and fainthearted ^H7401 H3824? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, so that [fn]he does not make his brothers’ ^H251 hearts ^H3824 melt ^H4549 like his heart ^H3824!’ 9 And when the officers ^H7860 have finished ^H3615 speaking ^H1696 to the people ^H5971, they shall appoint ^H6485 commanders ^H8269 of armies ^H6635 at the head ^H7218 of the people ^H5971.

10 “When ^H3588 you approach ^H7126 a city ^H5892 to fight ^H3898 against ^H5921 it, you shall [fn]offer ^H7121 it terms ^H7121 of peace ^H7965. 11 And if ^H518 it [fn]agrees ^H6030 to ^H6030 make ^H6030 peace ^H7965 with you and opens ^H6605 to you, then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who are found ^H4672 in it shall become ^H1961 your forced ^H4522 labor ^H4522 and serve ^H5647 you. 12 However, if ^H518 it does not make ^H7999 peace ^H7999 with you, but makes ^H6213 war ^H4421 against ^H5973 you, then you shall besiege ^H6696 it. 13 When the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 it into your hand ^H3027, you shall strike ^H5221 all ^H3605 the [fn]men ^H2138 in it with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719. 14 However ^H7534, the women ^H802, the children ^H2945, the animals ^H929, and everything ^H3605 that is in the city ^H5892, all ^H3605 of its spoils ^H7998, you shall take ^H962 as plunder ^H962 for yourself; and you shall [fn]use ^H398 the spoils ^H7998 of your enemies ^H340 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 has given ^H5414 you. 15 This ^H3651 is ^H3651 what ^H3651 you shall do ^H6213 to all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 that are very ^H3966 far ^H7350 from you, which ^H834 are not of the cities ^H5892 of these ^H428 nations ^H1471 [fn]nearby ^H2008. 16 Only ^H7534 in the cities ^H5892 of these ^H428 peoples ^H5971 that the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159, you shall not leave ^H2421 anything ^H3605 that breathes ^H5397 alive ^H2421. 17 Instead ^H3588, you shall [fn]utterly ^H2763 destroy ^H2763 them, the Hittite ^H2850 and the Amorite ^H567, the Canaanite ^H3669 and the Perizzite ^H6522, the Hivite ^H2340 and the Jebusite ^H2983, just ^H834 as ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 has commanded ^H6680 you, 18 so ^H4616 that ^H4616 they will not teach ^H3925 you to do ^H6213 [fn]all ^H3605 the same detestable ^H8441 practices ^H8441 of theirs which ^H834 they have done ^H6213 for their gods ^H430, [fn]by which you would sin ^H2398 against the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430.

19 “When ^H3588 you besiege ^H6696 a city ^H5892 for a long ^H7227 time ^H3117, to make ^H3898 war ^H3898 against ^H5921 it in order to capture ^H8610 it, you shall not destroy ^H7843 its trees ^H6086 by swinging ^H5080 an axe ^H1631 against ^H5921 them; for you may eat ^H398 from them, so you shall not cut ^H3772 them down ^H3772. For [fn]is the tree ^H6086 of the field ^H7704 a human ^H120, that it should [fn]be besieged ^H4692 by you? 20 Only ^H7534 the trees ^H6086 that you know ^H3045 [fn]are not fruit ^H3978 trees ^H6086 you shall destroy ^H7843 and cut ^H3772 down ^H3772, so that you may construct ^H1129 siegeworks ^H4692 against ^H5921 the city ^H5892 that is making ^H6213 war ^H4421 against ^H5973 you until ^H5704 it falls ^H3381.