Deuteronomy 20 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Deuteronomy 20 (WEBP)

[1] 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, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
[2] It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
[3] and shall tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don’t let your heart faint! Don’t be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them;
[4] for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
[5] The officers shall speak to the people, saying, “What man is there who 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] What man is there who 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] What man is there who has pledged to be married to 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] The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, “What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother’s heart melt as his heart.”
[9] It shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.
[10] When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
[11] It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you.
[12] If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.
[13] When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
[14] but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you.
[15] Thus you shall 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 Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;
[17] but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you;
[18] that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you sin against Yahweh 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 ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?
[20] Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Deuteronomy 20 (KJVS)

[1] When thou goest out () to battle against thine enemies (), and seest () horses , and chariots , [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid () of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up () out of the land of Egypt .
[2] And it shall be, when ye are come nigh () unto the battle , that the priest shall approach () and speak () unto the people ,
[3] And shall say () unto them, Hear (), O Israel , ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies (): let not your hearts faint (), fear () not, and do not tremble (), neither be ye terrified () because of them;
[4] For the LORD your God [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 thou comest nigh () unto a city to fight () against it, then proclaim () peace unto it.
[11] And it shall be, if it make thee answer () of peace , and open () unto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people [that is] found () therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve () thee.
[12] And if it will make no peace () with thee, but will make () war against thee, then thou shalt besiege () it:
[13] And when the LORD thy God hath delivered () it into thine hands , thou 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 thou take () unto thyself; and thou shalt eat () the spoil of thine enemies (), which the LORD thy God hath given () thee.
[15] Thus shalt thou do () unto all the cities [which are] very far off from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these nations .
[16] But of the cities of these people , which the LORD thy God doth give () thee [for] an inheritance , thou shalt save alive () nothing that breatheth :
[17] But thou shalt utterly () destroy () them; [namely], the Hittites , and the Amorites , the Canaanites , and the Perizzites , the Hivites , and the Jebusites ; as the LORD thy God hath commanded () thee:
[18] That they teach () you not to do () after all their abominations , which they have done () unto their gods ; so should ye sin () against the LORD your God .
[19] When thou shalt besiege () a city a long time , in making war () against it to take () it, thou shalt not destroy () the trees thereof by forcing () an axe against them: for thou mayest eat () of them, and thou 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 thou knowest () that they [be] not trees for meat , thou shalt destroy () and cut them down (); and thou shalt build () bulwarks against the city that maketh () war with thee, until it be subdued ().

Young’s Literal Translation

Deuteronomy 20 (YLT)

[1] ‘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, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people,
[3] and said unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence,
[4] for Jehovah your God is He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies-to save you.
[5] ‘And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who is the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?-let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.
[6] ‘And who is the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common?-let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.
[7] ‘And who is the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her?-let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.
[8] ‘And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who is the man that is afraid and tender of heart?-let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart;
[9] and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.
[10] ‘When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace,
[11] and it hath been, if Peace it answer thee, and hath opened to thee, then it hath come to pass-all the people who are found in it are to thee for tributaries, and have served thee.
[12] ‘And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it,
[13] and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword.
[14] Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee.
[15] So thou dost do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
[16] ‘Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee for an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing;
[17] for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,
[18] so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God.
[19] ‘When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down-for man’s is the tree of the field-to go in at thy presence in the siege.
[20] Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it is not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it.