The Bible

Deuteronomy Chapter 20

¹When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, don't be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. ²When you draw near to the battle the priest is to approach and speak to the people, ³and tell them, "Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don't let your heart faint! Don't be afraid, or tremble, or be scared of them [at all]; ⁴for Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."

⁵The officers are to speak to the people, saying, "Is there a man who has built a new house, [and not] dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle, and another man dedicate it [instead]. ⁶Is there a man who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle, and another man use its fruit. ⁷Is there a man who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle, and another man take her." ⁸The officers are to speak further to the people, and say, "Is there a man who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise his brother's heart might melt like his heart." ⁹When the officers have finished speaking to the people they are to appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.

¹⁰When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. ¹¹And, if it answers you [with] peace and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it will become forced-labourers for you, and serve you. ¹²If it will not make peace with you, but will make war against you, then you are to besiege it. ¹³When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hands, strike every male with the edge of the sword; ¹⁴but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all of its plunder, take as plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you. ¹⁵Do this to all the cities which are very far away from you, which are not the cities of these nations here. ¹⁶But the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you for an inheritance, leave nothing that breathes alive; ¹⁷but utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, [just as] Yahweh your God has commanded you; ¹⁸so they don't teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; [making you] sin [against] Yahweh your God. ¹⁹When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it to take it, don't destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat from them. Don't cut them down. Is the tree of the field human, [that it should] be besieged? ²⁰Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you may destroy and cut them down. Build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.