Deuteronomy 20
1 “When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God is with you—he who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
2 When you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people.
3 He shall say to them, ‘Listen, Israel: today you are drawing near to battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, do not be afraid, do not panic or tremble before them.
4 For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and save you.’
5 The officers shall speak to the people: ‘Who has built a new house and has not yet dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man dedicate it.
6 Who has planted a vineyard and has not yet enjoyed its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
7 Who has become engaged to a woman and has not yet taken her as his wife? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man take her.’
8 The officers shall speak further to the people and say: ‘Who is afraid and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his own.’
9 When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of the troops to lead the people.
10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer it terms of peace.”
11 “If it answers you peacefully and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it shall become subject to you for forced labor, and shall serve you.
12 But if it makes no peace with you and wages war against you, besiege it.
13 The LORD your God will deliver it into your hand, and you shall put all its males to the sword.
14 Only the women, the children, the animals, and everything else in the city—all its spoil—you may take for yourself. You may eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.
15 You shall do this to all the cities that are very far from you, cities that do not belong to these nations.
16 But in the cities of these peoples, which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not let any living thing remain alive.
17 Devote them completely to destruction: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
18 This is so they will not teach you to do all the abominations they have done for their gods, and you will not sin against the LORD your God.
19 When you besiege a city for many days, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an ax against them. You may eat from them, so do not cut them down. Is a tree in the field a person, that it should come under siege from you?
20 Only the tree you know is not a fruit tree—you may destroy and cut down. Build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.”
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