Deuteronomy, 20

1. When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

1. When you go to war against your enemies and you see horses, chariots and an army more numerous than yours, then have no fear because Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, is with you.

2. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

2. When the hour of battle draws near, the priest shall advance to the head of the army and shall speak to the people saying:

3. And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

3. "Listen, Israel, today you are to enter into battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be discouraged, or afraid or troubled, and do not tremble before them,

4. For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

4. for Yahweh, your God, is with you, to fight in your favor against your enemies and save you."

5. And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man [is there] that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

5. So the secretaries shall say to the people: "Is there anyone of you who has just built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go home; lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

6. And what man [is he] that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not [yet] eaten of it? let him [also] go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

6. Is there anyone among you who has planted a new vineyard and has not yet enjoyed its fruits? Let him go home, lest he die in the war and another enjoy its fruit.

7. And what man [is there] that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

7. Is there anyone who has made a promise to marry and has not yet been married? Let him go back to his home at once, lest he die in combat and another take the woman as his wife."

8. And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.

8. They shall also say: "Is there anyone who is afraid or weakhearted? Let him go home immediately, lest his fear discourage others."

9. And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

9. When they have finished speaking, commanders shall be put at the head of the people.

10. When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

10. When you draw near to a city to lay siege to it, you shall first offer it peace.

11. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people [that is] found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

11. If it accepts your proposal and opens the gates to you, all the people found in it shall become your slaves and serve you.

12. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

12. If they do not accept the peace that you offer them and declare war against you, you shall lay siege to the city.

13. And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

13. And when Yahweh, your God, gives it into your hands, you shall kill by the sword all the men,

14. But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, [even] all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

14. but the women and children, the livestock and all the other things which you find there shall be your booty, and you shall eat from the plunder of your enemies which Yahweh has given over to you.

15. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities [which are] very far off from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these nations.

15. This you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you and which are not in the country which you will possess.

16. But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

16. But in the cities which Yahweh gives you as an inheritance, you shall not leave anything that lives.

17. But thou shalt utterly destroy them; [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

17. You must destroy them all according to the law of anathema - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites - as Yahweh, your God, has commanded you,

18. That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

18. that they may not teach you all those evil things which they have done to honor their gods, for by imitating them you shall sin against Yahweh, your God.

19. When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field [is] man's [life]) to employ [them] in the siege:

19. If, on attacking a city, you have to lay siege to it for a long time before capturing it, you shall not destroy the fruit trees around it nor cut them with your axe, that you may eat their fruit. Do not cut them, then. Are the trees of the field men that they should also be stricken?

20. Only the trees which thou knowest that they [be] not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

20. If there are trees in the field which are not fruit-bearing, but are for other uses, cut them down and make ladders and instruments out of them with which you may seize the city that offers you resistance.