Deuteronomy 20

1 “When you goest out to battle against your enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them; for יהוה your God (Elohim) is with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt (Mitsrayim).

2 And it shall be, when you are come near unto the battle, that the priest (kohen) shall approach and speak unto the people,

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

4 For יהוה your God (Elohim) is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to 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.

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.

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.’

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.’

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.

10 When you comest near unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

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

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

13 And when יהוה your God (Elohim) hath delivered it into your hands, you shalt 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 the spoil thereof, shalt you take unto yourself; and you shalt eat the spoil of your enemies, which יהוה your God (Elohim) hath given you.

15 Thus shalt you do unto 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 people, which יהוה your God (Elohim) doth give you for an inheritance, you shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;

17 But you shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Yevusis; as יהוה your God (Elohim) hath commanded you,

18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods (elohim); so should you sin against יהוה your God (Elohim).

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

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