Deuteronomy 20

ki-tetse lammilkhamah al-oyevekha vera'ita sus varekhev am rav mimmekha lo tira mehem ki-Adonai elohekha immakh hamma'alkha me'erets mitsrayim

When you take the field against your enemies, and see horses and chariots—forces larger than yours—have no fear of them, for the ETERNAL your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, is with you.

vehayah keqarovkhem el-hammilkhamah veniggash hakkohen vedibber el-ha'am

Before you join battle, the priest shall come forward and address the troops.

ve'amar alehem shema yisra'el attem qerevim hayyom lammilkhamah al-oyevekhem al-yerakh levavkhem al-tire'u ve'al-takhpezu ve'al-ta'artsu mippenehem

He shall say to them, “Hear, O Israel! You are about to join battle with your enemy. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread of them.

ki Adonai elohekhem haholekh immakhem lehillakhem lakhem im-oyevekhem lehoshia etkhem

For it is the ETERNAL your God who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory.”

vedibberu hashoterim el-ha'am lemor mi-ha'ish asher banah vayit-khadash velo khanakho yelekh veyashov leveto pen-yamut bammilkhamah ve'ish akher yakhnekhennu

Then the officials shall address the troops, as follows: “Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

umi-ha'ish asher-nata kerem velo khillelo yelekh veyashov leveto pen-yamut bammilkhamah ve'ish akher yekhallelennu

Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but has never harvested it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another harvest it.

umi-ha'ish asher-eras isha velo leqakhah yelekh veyashov leveto pen-yamut bammilkhamah ve'ish akher yiqqakhennah

Is there anyone who has paid the bride-price for a wife, but who has not yet taken her [into his household]? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another take her to wife.”

veyasefu hashoterim ledabber el-ha'am ve'ameru mi-ha'ish hayyare verakh hallevav yelekh veyashov leveto velo yimmas et-levav ekhayw kilvavo

The officials shall go on addressing the troops and say, “Is there anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades flag like his.”

vehayah kekhallot hashoterim ledabber el-ha'am ufaqedu sare tseva'ot berosh ha'am

When the officials have finished addressing the troops, army commanders shall assume command of the troops.

ki-tiqrav el-ir lehillakhem aleha veqarata eleha leshalom

When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.

vehayah im-shalom ta'ankha ufatekhah lakh vehayah kol-ha'am hannimtsa-vah yihyu lekha lamas va'avadukha

If it responds peaceably and lets you in, all the people present there shall serve you at forced labor.

ve'im-lo tashlim immakh ve'asetah immekha milkhamah vetsarta aleha

If it does not surrender to you, but would join battle with you, you shall lay siege to it;

unetanah Adonai elohekha beyadekha vehikkita et-kol-zekhurah lefi-kharev

and when the ETERNAL your God delivers it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword.

raq hannashim vehattaf vehabbehemah vekhol asher yihyeh va'ir kol-shelalah tavoz lakh ve'akhalta et-shelal oyevekha asher natan Adonai elohekha lakh

You may, however, take as your booty the women, the children, the livestock, and everything in the town—all its spoil—and enjoy the use of the spoil of your enemy, which the ETERNAL your God gives you.

ken ta'aseh lekhol-he'arim harekhoqot mimmekha me'od asher lo-me'are haggoyim-ha'elleh hennah

Thus you shall deal with all towns that lie very far from you, towns that do not belong to nations hereabout.

raq me'are ha'ammim ha'elleh asher Adonai elohekha noten lekha nakhalah lo tekhayyeh kol-neshamah

In the towns of the latter peoples, however, which the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive.

ki-hakharem takharimem hakhitti veha'emori hakkena'ani vehapperizzi hakhivvi vehayevusi ka'asher tsivvekha Adonai elohekha

No, you must proscribe them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—as the ETERNAL your God has commanded you,

lema'an asher lo-yelammedu etkhem la'asot kekhol to'avotam asher asu lelohehem vakhatatem la-Adonai elohekhem

lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods and you stand guilty before the ETERNAL your God.

ki-tatsur el-ir yamim rabbim lehillakhem aleha letofsah lo-tashkhit et-etsah lindoakh alayw garzen ki mimmennu tokhel ve'oto lo tikhrot ki ha'adam ets hassadeh lavo mippanekha bammatsor

When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?

raq ets asher-teda ki-lo-ets ma'akhal hu oto tashkhit vekharatta uvanita matsor al-ha'ir asher-hiv osah immekha milkhamah ad ridtah

Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced.