Deuteronomy 20 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

Laws of Warfare

20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see (A)horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, (B)do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. 3 He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. (C)Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, 4 for the Lord your God (D)is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ 5 The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not (E)dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. 6 Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not [a]begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man [b]would begin to use its fruit. 7 (F)And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not [c]married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man [d]would marry her.’ 8 Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘(G)Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that [e]he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’ 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

10 “When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall [f]offer it terms of peace. 11 If it [g]agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your (H)forced labor and shall serve you. 12 However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13 When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, (I)you shall strike all the [h]men in it with the edge of the sword. 14 Only the women and the children and (J)the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall [i]use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you. 15 Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations [j]nearby. 16 (K)Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 But you shall [k]utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do (L)according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would (M)sin against the Lord your God.

19 “When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. [l]For is the tree of the field a man, that it should [m]be besieged by you? 20 Only the trees which you know [n]are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 20:6 Lit treat(ed) it as common
  2. Deuteronomy 20:6 Lit treat(ed) it as common
  3. Deuteronomy 20:7 Lit taken
  4. Deuteronomy 20:7 Lit take
  5. Deuteronomy 20:8 So with Gr and other ancient versions
  6. Deuteronomy 20:10 Lit call to it for peace
  7. Deuteronomy 20:11 Lit answers peace
  8. Deuteronomy 20:13 Lit males
  9. Deuteronomy 20:14 Lit eat
  10. Deuteronomy 20:15 Lit here
  11. Deuteronomy 20:17 Or put them under the ban
  12. Deuteronomy 20:19 Read as interrogative with ancient versions
  13. Deuteronomy 20:19 Lit come before you in the siege
  14. Deuteronomy 20:20 Lit they are not trees for food

Cross references

  1. Deuteronomy 20:1 : Deut 3:22; 7:18; 31:6, 8; Ps 20:7; Is 31:1
  2. Deuteronomy 20:1 : 2 Chr 32:7, 8; Ps 23:4; Is 41:10
  3. Deuteronomy 20:3 : Deut 20:1; Josh 23:10
  4. Deuteronomy 20:4 : Deut 1:30; 3:22; Josh 23:10
  5. Deuteronomy 20:5 : Neh 12:27
  6. Deuteronomy 20:7 : Deut 24:5
  7. Deuteronomy 20:8 : Judg 7:3
  8. Deuteronomy 20:11 : 1 Kin 9:21
  9. Deuteronomy 20:13 : Num 31:7
  10. Deuteronomy 20:14 : Josh 8:2
  11. Deuteronomy 20:16 : Ex 23:31-33; Num 21:2, 3; Deut 7:1-5; Josh 11:14
  12. Deuteronomy 20:18 : Ex 34:12-16; Deut 7:4; 9:5; 12:30, 31
  13. Deuteronomy 20:18 : Ex 23:33; 2 Kin 21:3-15; Ps 106:34-41

You Might Also Like:

Deuteronomy 20 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

20 `When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot -- a people more numerous than thou -- thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God [is] with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt; 2 and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, t...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

20 If thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and thou seest a multitude of knights, and of chariots, and a greater multitude of the adversary(’s) host than (what) thou hast, thou shalt not dread them; for thy Lord God is with thee, that led thee out of the land of Egypt. (If thou goest out ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - World English Bible (WEB)

20 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2 It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall app...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - The Voice (VOICE)

20 Moses: This is how you should act during wartime: When you go to battle against your enemies, if you see their army is larger than yours and they have horses and chariots, don’t be afraid of them! The Eternal your God is with you—the same God who defeated Pharaoh and brought you out of Egypt. 2 ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Confidence in Battle20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horse and chariot—a people more numerous than you—do not be afraid of them. For Adonai your God, the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you draw near to the battle, the kohen will come for...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Rules of Warfare20 “When you go forth to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Rules of Warfare20 When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2 Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Rules of Warfare20 “When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, do not fear them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.(A)2 Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the t...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Regulations concerning War20 “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! 2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New Life Version (NLV)

About Battles20 “When you go to battle against those who hate you and see more horses and war-wagons and soldiers than you have, do not be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, Who brought you from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you are coming near the battle, the religious leader will com...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Principles Governing Warfare20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see (A)horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be (B)afraid of them; for the Lord your God is (C)with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2 So it shall be, when you are on the verge...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Going to war20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and addres...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New International Version (NIV)

Going to War20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours,(A) do not be afraid(B) of them,(C) because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with(D) you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Going to War20 When you go to war against your enemies, you might see that they have horses and chariots. They might even have an army stronger than yours. But don’t be afraid of them. The Lord your God will be with you. After all, he brought you up out of Egypt. 2 Just before you go into battle, t...
Read More

Deuteronomy 20 - New English Translation (NET)

Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies20 When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry[a] and troops[b] who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 As you move forward for battle, the priest[c] will ap...
Read More