"When you go
out to battle
against
your enemies
and see
ahorses
and chariots
and people
more
numerous
than
you, bdo not be afraid
of them; for the LORD
your God
, who
brought
you up from the land
of Egypt
, is with you.
"When you are approaching the battle
, the priest
shall come
near
and speak
to the people
.
"He shall say to them, `Hear
, O Israel
, you are approaching
the battle
against
your enemies
today
. Do not be fainthearted
. aDo not be afraid
, or panic
, or tremble
before
them,
for the LORD your God
ais the one who goes
with you, to fight
for you against
your enemies
, to save
you.'
"The officers also shall speak
to the people
, saying
, `Who
is the man
that has built
a new
house
and has not adedicated
it? Let him depart
and return
to his house
, otherwise
he might die
in the battle
and another
man
would dedicate
it.
`Who is the man
that has planted
a vineyard
and has not 1begun
to use
its fruit
? Let him depart
and return
to his house
, otherwise
he might die
in the battle
and another
man
1would begin
to use
its fruit
.
` aAnd who is the man
that is engaged
to a woman
and has not 1married
her? Let him depart
and return
to his house
, otherwise
he might die
in the battle
and another
man
2would marry
her.'
"Then the officers shall speak
further
to the people
and say
, ` aWho
is the man
that is afraid
and fainthearted
? Let him depart
and return
to his house
, so that 1he might not make his brothers'
hearts
melt
like his heart
.'
"When the officers have finished
speaking
to the people
, they shall appoint
commanders
of armies
at the head
of the people
.
"When you approach
a city
to fight
against
it, you shall 1offer
it terms
of peace
.
"If it 1agrees
to make
peace
with you and opens
to you, then all
the people
who are found
in it shall become
your aforced
labor
and shall serve
you.
"However, if it does not make
peace
with you, but makes
war
against
you, then you shall besiege
it.
"When the LORD your God
gives
it into your hand
, ayou shall strike
all
the 1men
in it with the edge
of the sword
.
"Only the women
and the children
and athe animals
and all
that is in the city
, all
its spoil
, you shall take
as booty
for yourself; and you shall 1use
the spoil
of your enemies
which
the LORD
your God
has given
you.
"Thus you shall do
to all
the cities
that are very
far
from you, which
are not of the cities
of these
nations
1nearby
.
" aOnly 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 you shall 1utterly 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,
so that they may not teach
you to do
aaccording to all
their detestable
things
which
they have done
for their gods
, so that you would bsin
against the LORD
your God
.
"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
. 1For is the tree
of the field
a man
, that it should 2be besieged
by you?
"Only the trees
which
you know
1are 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
.