Deuteronomy 20 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Statutes About Warfare

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

Deu 20:2

Deu 20:2“Now it will be, when you are drawing near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

Deu 20:3

Deu 20:3“And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near to the battle against your enemies today. Do not let your heart be faint. Do not be afraid, nor be alarmed, nor be in dread before them,

Deu 20:4

Deu 20:4for Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Deu 20:5

Deu 20:5“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 go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

Deu 20:6

Deu 20:6‘Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not [fn]begun to use its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man [fn]begin to use its fruit.

Deu 20:7

Deu 20:7‘And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not [fn]married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man [fn]marry her.’

Deu 20:8

Deu 20:8“Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and whose heart is faint? Let him go and return to his house, so that [fn]he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’

Deu 20:9

Deu 20:9“Now it will be that when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

Deu 20:10

“If^H3588 you come^H7126 near^H7126 a city^H5892 to fight^H3898 against^H5921 it, you shall call^H7121 for terms of peace^H7965.

Deu 20:11

Deu 20:11“Now it will be that if it [fn]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.

Deu 20:12

Deu 20:12“However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Deu 20:13

Deu 20:13“And Yahweh your God shall give it into your hand, and you shall strike all the males in it with the edge of the sword.

Deu 20:14

Deu 20:14“Only the women and the little ones and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall consume the spoil of your enemies which Yahweh your God has given you.

Deu 20:15

Deu 20:15“Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations [fn]nearby.

Deu 20:16

Deu 20:16“Only in the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

Deu 20:17

Deu 20:17“But you shall devote them to destruction, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you,

Deu 20:18

Deu 20:18so that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against Yahweh your God.

Deu 20:19

“If^H3588 you besiege^H6696 a city^H5892 for many^H7227 days^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, and you shall not cut^H3772 them down^H3772. [fn]For is the tree^H6086 of the field^H7704 a man^H120, that it should [fn]be besieged^H4692 by you?

Deu 20:20

Deu 20:20“Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you shall destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.