Deuteronomy 20 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Statutes About Warfare

1 “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.

2 Now it will be ^H1961, when you are drawing ^H7126 near ^H7126 to the battle ^H4421, the priest ^H3548 shall approach ^H5066 and speak ^H1696 to the people ^H5971. 3 And he shall say ^H559 to them, ‘Hear ^H8085, O Israel ^H3478, you are drawing ^H7126 near ^H7126 to the battle ^H4421 against ^H5921 your enemies ^H340 today ^H3117. Do not let your heart ^H3824 be faint ^H7401. Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, nor be alarmed ^H2648, nor be in dread ^H6206 before ^H4480 H6440 them, 4 for Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 is the one who goes ^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 and has not dedicated ^H2596 it? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, lest ^H6435 he die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 dedicate ^H2596 it. 6 Who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that has planted ^H5193 a vineyard ^H3754 and has not [fn]begun ^H2490 to ^H2490 use ^H2490 its fruit ^H2490? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, lest ^H6435 he die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 [fn]begin ^H2490 to ^H2490 use ^H2490 its fruit ^H2490. 7 And who ^H4310 is the man ^H376 that is engaged ^H781 to a woman ^H802 and has not [fn]married ^H3947 her? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, lest ^H6435 he die ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 and another ^H312 man ^H376 [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 whose heart ^H3824 is faint ^H7401? Let him go ^H1980 and return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004, so that [fn]he might not make his brothers’ ^H251 hearts ^H3824 melt ^H4549 like his heart ^H3824.’ 9 Now it will be that 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 “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. 11 Now it will be that 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 shall 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 And Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 shall give ^H5414 it into your hand ^H3027, and you shall strike ^H5221 all ^H3605 the males ^H2138 in it with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719. 14 Only ^H7534 the women ^H802 and the little ^H2945 ones ^H2945 and the animals ^H929 and all ^H3605 that is in the city ^H5892, all ^H3605 its spoil ^H7998, you shall plunder ^H962 for yourself; and you shall consume ^H398 the spoil ^H7998 of your enemies ^H340 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has given ^H5414 you. 15 Thus ^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 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159, you shall not leave ^H2421 alive ^H2421 anything ^H3605 that breathes ^H5397. 17 But you shall devote ^H2763 them to destruction ^H2763, the Hittite ^H2850 and the Amorite ^H567, the Canaanite ^H3669 and the Perizzite ^H6522, the Hivite ^H2340 and the Jebusite ^H2983, as Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has commanded ^H6680 you, 18 so ^H4616 that they may not teach ^H3925 you to do ^H6213 according to all ^H3605 their abominations ^H8441 which ^H834 they have done ^H6213 for their gods ^H430, so that you would sin ^H2398 against Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430.

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? 20 Only ^H7534 the trees ^H6086 which ^H834 you know ^H3045 are not trees ^H6086 for food ^H3978 you shall destroy ^H7843 and cut ^H3772 down ^H3772, that you may build ^H1129 siegeworks ^H4692 against ^H5921 the city ^H5892 that is making ^H6213 war ^H4421 with you until ^H5704 it falls ^H3381.