1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Deuteronomy 20

1 The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle. 5 The officers' proclamation who are to be dismissed from the war. 10 How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace. 16 What cities must be devoted. 19 Trees of man's meat must not be destroyed in the siege.

 20:1 “When 3588 you go 3318 out to battle 4421 against 5921 your enemies 340 and see 7200 horses 5483b and chariots 7393 [and] people 5971a more 7227a numerous 7227a than 4480 you, do not be afraid 3372a of them; for the LORD 3068 your God 430, who 834 brought 5927 you up from the land 776 of Egypt 4714, is with you.

 20:2 “When you are approaching 7126 the battle 4421, the priest 3548 shall come 5066 near 5066 and speak 1696 to the people 5971a.

 20:3 “He shall say 559 to them, ‘Hear 8085, O Israel 3478, you are approaching 7126 the battle 4421 against 5921 your enemies 340 today 3117. Do not be fainthearted 7401 3824. Do not be afraid 3372a, or panic 2648, or tremble 6206 before 4480 6440 them,

 20:4 for the LORD 3068 your God 430 is the one who goes 1980 with you, to fight 3898a for you against 5973 your enemies 340, to save 3467 you.’

 20:5 “The officers 7860 also shall speak 1696 to the people 5971a, saying 559, ‘Who 4310 is the man 376 that has built 1129 a new 2319 house 1004 and has not dedicated 2596 it? Let him depart 1980 and return 7725 to his house 1004, otherwise 6435 he might die 4191 in the battle 4421 and another 312 man 376 would dedicate 2596 it.

 20:6 ‘Who 4310 is the man 376 that has planted 5193 a vineyard 3754 and has not begun 2490c to use 2490c its fruit 2490c? Let him depart 1980 and return 7725 to his house 1004, otherwise 6435 he might die 4191 in the battle 4421 and another 312 man 376 would begin 2490c to use 2490c its fruit 2490c.

 20:7 ‘And who 4310 is the man 376 that is engaged 781 to a woman 802 and has not married 3947 her? Let him depart 1980 and return 7725 to his house 1004, otherwise 6435 he might die 4191 in the battle 4421 and another 312 man 376 would marry 3947 her.’

 20:8 “Then the officers 7860 shall speak 1696 further 3254 to the people 5971a and say 559, ‘Who 4310 is the man 376 that is afraid 3372a and fainthearted 7401 3824? Let him depart 1980 and return 7725 to his house 1004, so that he might not make his brothers’ 251 hearts 3824 melt 4549 like his heart 3824.’

 20:9 “When the officers 7860 have finished 3615 speaking 1696 to the people 5971a, they shall appoint 6485 commanders 8269 of armies 6635 at the head 7218 of the people 5971a.

 20:10 ¶ “When 3588 you approach 7126 a city 5892b to fight 3898a against 5921 it, you shall offer 7121 it terms 7121 of peace 7965.

 20:11 “If 518 it agrees 6030a to make 6030a peace 7965 with you and opens 6605a to you, then all 3605 the people 5971a who are found 4672 in it shall become 1961 your forced 4522 labor 4522 and shall serve 5647 you.

 20:12 “However, if 518 it does not make 7999b peace 7999b with you, but makes 6213a war 4421 against 5973 you, then you shall besiege 6696a it.

 20:13 “When the LORD 3068 your God 430 gives 5414 it into your hand 3027, you shall strike 5221 all 3605 the men 2138 in it with the edge 6310 of the sword 2719.

 20:14 “Only 7534 the women 802 and the children 2945 and the animals 929 and all 3605 that is in the city 5892b, all 3605 its spoil 7998, you shall take 962 as booty 962 for yourself; and you shall use 398 the spoil 7998 of your enemies 340 which 834 the LORD 3068 your God 430 has given 5414 you.

 20:15 “Thus 3651 you shall do 6213a to all 3605 the cities 5892b that are very 3966 far 7350 from you, which 834 are not of the cities 5892b of these 428 nations 1471 nearby 2008.

 20:16 “Only 7534 in the cities 5892b of these 428 peoples 5971a that the LORD 3068 your God 430 is giving 5414 you as an inheritance 5159, you shall not leave 2421a alive 2421a anything 3605 that breathes 5397.

 20:17 “But you shall utterly 2763a destroy 2763a them, the Hittite 2850 and the Amorite 567, the Canaanite 3669a and the Perizzite 6522, the Hivite 2340 and the Jebusite 2983, as the LORD 3068 your God 430 has commanded 6680 you,

 20:18 so 4616 that they may not teach 3925 you to do 6213a according to all 3605 their detestable 8441 things 8441 which 834 they have done 6213a for their gods 430, so that you would sin 2398 against the LORD 3068 your God 430.

 20:19 ¶ “When 3588 you besiege 6696a a city 5892b a long 7227a time 3117, to make 3898a war 3898a against 5921 it in order to capture 8610 it, you shall not destroy 7843 its trees 6086 by swinging 5080 an axe 1631 against 5921 them; for you may eat 398 from them, and you shall not cut 3772 them down 3772. For is the tree 6086 of the field 7704 a man 120, that it should be besieged 4692 by you?

 20:20 “Only 7534 the trees 6086 which 834 you know 3045 are not fruit 3978 trees 6086 you shall destroy 7843 and cut 3772 down 3772, that you may construct 1129 siegeworks 4692 against 5921 the city 5892b that is making 6213a war 4421 with you until 5704 it falls 3381.