Deut 20
1
When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and]
a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for YHWH your God is with
you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
2
And it shall be, when you draw nigh to the battle, that the priest shall approach
and speak to the people,
3
and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you draw nigh this day to battle against your
enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be you frightened
at them;
4
for YHWH your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies,
to save you.
5
And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that has built
a new house, and has not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he
die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6
And what man is there that has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit?
let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use
its fruit.
7
And what man is there that has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? let him go
and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
8
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is
there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest
his brethren`s heart melt as his heart.
9
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that
they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
10
When you draw nigh to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11
And it shall be, if it make you answer of peace, and open to you, then it shall be,
that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary to you, and shall
serve you.
12
And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall
besiege it:
13
and when YHWH your God delivers it into your hand, you shall smite every male thereof
with the edge of the sword:
14
but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even
all its spoil, shall you take for a prey to yourself; and you shall eat the
spoil of your enemies, which YHWH your God has given you.
15
Thus shall you do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not
of the cities of these nations.
16
But of the cities of these peoples, that YHWH your God gives you for an inheritance,
you shall save alive nothing that breathes;
17
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and
the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as YHWH your God has commanded you;
18
that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done to
their gods; so would you sin against YHWH your God.
19
When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you
shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat
of them, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it
should be besieged of you?
20
Only the trees of which you know that they are not trees for food, you shall destroy
and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with
you, until it fall.