Deuteronomy 20:1-17 ▼

1 When thou shalt go forth to war against thine enemy, and thou sawest horse and chariot, a multitude of people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God is with thee, he bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it was in your coming near to the war, and the priest approached and spake to the people,

3 And he said to them, Hear, O Israel; ye come near this day to war against your enemies: your heart shall not be cast down, ye shall not fear, and ye shall not take flight, and ye shall not be terrified from their face.

4 For Jehovah your God goes with you to war with you against your enemies, to save you.

5 And the scribes spake to the people, saying, What man who built a new house and consecrated it not? be shall go and turn back to his house, lest he shall die in the war, and another man shall consecrate it.

6 And what man who planted a vineyard, and made it not common? He Shall go and turn back to his house lest he shall die in the war, and another man shall make it common.

7 And what man betrothed a wife and took her not? he shall go and turn back to his house lest he shall die in the war, and another man shall take her.

8 And the scribes shall add to speak to the people, and they said, What man was afraid and cast down of heart? he shall go and turn back to his house, and he shall not melt his brother's heart as his heart.

9 And it was as the scribes finished to speak to the people, and they appointed captains of the armies in the head of the people.

10 When thou shalt come near to a city to war against it, and call peace to it.

11 And it was, if it shall answer thee peace, and it opened to thee, and it was all the people being found in it shall be to thee for tribute and serve thee.

12 And if it will not be at peace with thee, and it made war with thee, and thou besieged against it.

13 And Jehovah thy God gave it into thy hand, and thou didst cut off every one of its males by the mouth of the sword.

14 Only the women and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that shall be in the city, all its spoil thou shalt plunder to thyself: and eat thou the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God gave to thee.

15 Thus shalt thou do to all the cities greatly far off from thee which are not of the cities of these nations.

16 Only of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God gave to thee an inheritance, thou shalt not preserve alive and breathing:

17 For destroying, thou shalt destroy them, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee: