When Going to Battle… |
Deuteronomy 20:1-20 Deuteronomy the Fifth Book of Moses |
When you go out to battle against your enemies & see more horses, chariots & people than you [have, don’t] be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, [Who] brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. |
It shall be, when you are [near] the battle, the priest shall [come] & speak to the people & say to them, Hear, O Israel, you are [going] into battle this day against your enemies. [Don’t be afraid, nor] be faint [hearted.] |
Don’t tremble [or] be terrified because of them. For the Lord your God goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. The officers shall say to the people, [Are there any men who] have built a new house & haven’t dedicated it? Let him go & return to his house, lest he die in battle & another man [dedicates] it. |
[Are there any men who] have planted a vineyard & haven’t eaten of it? Let him go & return to his house, lest he die in the battle & another man [eats] of [his vineyard.] |
[Are there any men who are engaged to] a wife? Let him go & return to his house, lest he die in battle & another man [take] her. The officers shall further & say to the people [of Israel, Are there any men who] are fearful & faint hearted? Let him go & return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint, as well as his heart. |
When the officers [finish] speaking to the people, they shall make captains of the [army] to lead the people. When you come close to the city to fight against it, then [declare] peace to it. |
If they [accept] & answer [in] peace & open [their gates,] all the people found there shall be [tributary servants & shall work for] you. If [they] won’t make peace with you, then you shall [attack] it. When the Lord your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall [strike] every male with the edge of the sword. |
But [all] the women, [children, livestock] & all that is in the city [including the plunder,] you shall take [for] yourself. You shall eat the [plunder] of your enemies, [that] the Lord your God has given you. |
You shall do [this] to all the cities [that] are far [from] you & aren’t cities of these nations. But the cities of these people, [that] the Lord your God gives you [as] an inheritance, nothing that breathes shall [be saved] alive. |
You shall [totally] destroy them: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, & the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded you. [So] they don’t teach you all their abominations they have done to their gods; [in case] you should sin against the Lord your God. |
When you [attack] a city & the war [takes] a long time, you shall not destroy [its] trees [with an ax,] because you may eat [from] them. You shall not cut them down, (for a tree of the field is man’s life) to [use] them in the [battle.] |
You shall only cut down & destroy the trees you know [aren’t used for food.] You shall build a [wall of defense] against the city that makes war with you, until it [is defeated.] |