Deuteronomy 20 – Bible | Equip God’s People

World English Bible Classic

^[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.

King James Version

^[1] When thou goest outH3318(QalImpf) to battleH4421 against thine enemies,H341(QalActPtc) and seestH7200(QalPerf) horses,H5483 and chariots,H7393 [and] a peopleH5971 moreH7227 than thou, be not afraidH3372(QalImpf) of them: for the LordH3068 thy GodH430 [is] with thee, which brought thee upH5927(HiphPtc) out of the landH776 of Egypt.H4714 ^[2] And it shall be, when ye are come nighH7126(QalInf) unto the battle,H4421 that the priestH3548 shall approachH5066(NiphPerf) and speakH1696(PielPerf) unto the people,H5971 ^[3] And shall sayH559(QalPerf) unto them, Hear,H8085(QalImpv) O Israel,H3478 ye approachH7131 this dayH3117 unto battleH4421 against your enemies:H341(QalActPtc) let not your heartsH3824 faint,H7401(NiphImpf) fearH3372(QalImpf) not, and do not tremble,H2648(QalImpf) neither be ye terrifiedH6206(QalImpf) becauseH6440 of them; ^[4] For the LordH3068 your GodH430 [is] he that goethH1980(QalActPtc) with you, to fightH3898(NiphInf) for you against your enemies,H341(QalActPtc) to saveH3467(HiphInf) you. ^[5] And the officersH7860(QalActPtc) shall speakH1696(PielPerf) unto the people,H5971 saying,H559(QalInf) What manH376 [is there] that hath builtH1129(QalPerf) a newH2319 house,H1004 and hath not dedicatedH2596(QalPerf) it? let him goH3212(QalImpf) and returnH7725(QalImpf) to his house,H1004 lest he dieH4191(QalImpf) in the battle,H4421 and anotherH312 manH376 dedicateH2596(QalImpf) it. ^[6] And what manH376 [is he] that hath plantedH5193(QalPerf) a vineyard,H3754 and hath not [yet] eatenH2490(PielPerf) of it? let him [also] goH3212(QalImpf) and returnH7725(QalImpf) unto his house,H1004 lest he dieH4191(QalImpf) in the battle,H4421 and anotherH312 manH376 eatH2490(PielImpf) of it. ^[7] And what manH376 [is there] that hath betrothedH781(PielPerf) a wife,H802 and hath not takenH3947(QalPerf) her? let him goH3212(QalImpf) and returnH7725(QalImpf) unto his house,H1004 lest he dieH4191(QalImpf) in the battle,H4421 and anotherH312 manH376 takeH3947(QalImpf) her. ^[8] And the officersH7860(QalActPtc) shall speakH1696(PielInf) furtherH3254(QalPerf) unto the people,H5971 and they shall say,H559(QalPerf) What manH376 [is there that is] fearfulH3373 and fainthearted?H7390 let him goH3212(QalImpf) and returnH7725(QalImpf) unto his house,H1004 lest his brethren’sH251 heartH3824 faintH4549(NiphImpf) as well as his heart.H3824 ^[9] And it shall be, when the officersH7860(QalActPtc) have made an endH3615(PielInf) of speakingH1696(PielInf) unto the people,H5971 that they shall makeH6485(QalPerf) captainsH8269 of the armiesH6635 to leadH7218 the people.H5971 ^[10] When thou comest nighH7126(QalImpf) unto a cityH5892 to fightH3898(NiphInf) against it, then proclaimH7121(QalPerf) peaceH7965 unto it. ^[11] And it shall be, if it make thee answerH6030(QalImpf) of peace,H7965 and openH6605(QalPerf) unto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the peopleH5971 [that is] foundH4672(NiphPtc) therein shall be tributariesH4522 unto thee, and they shall serveH5647(QalPerf) thee. ^[12] And if it will make no peaceH7999(HiphImpf) with thee, but will makeH6213(QalPerf) warH4421 against thee, then thou shalt besiegeH6696(QalPerf) it: ^[13] And when the LordH3068 thy GodH430 hath deliveredH5414(QalPerf) it into thine hands,H3027 thou shalt smiteH5221(HiphPerf) every maleH2138 thereof with the edgeH6310 of the sword:H2719 ^[14] But the women,H802 and the little ones,H2945 and the cattle,H929 and all that is in the city,H5892 [even] all the spoilH7998 thereof, shalt thou takeH962(QalImpf) unto thyself; and thou shalt eatH398(QalPerf) the spoilH7998 of thine enemies,H341(QalActPtc) which the LordH3068 thy GodH430 hath givenH5414(QalPerf) thee. ^[15] Thus shalt thou doH6213(QalImpf) unto all the citiesH5892 [which are] veryH3966 far offH7350 from thee, whichH2007 [are] not of the citiesH5892 of these nations.H1471 ^[16] But of the citiesH5892 of these people,H5971 which the LordH3068 thy GodH430 doth giveH5414(QalActPtc) thee [for] an inheritance,H5159 thou shalt save aliveH2421(PielImpf) nothing that breatheth:H5397 ^[17] But thou shalt utterlyH2763(HiphInf) destroyH2763(HiphImpf) them; [namely], the Hittites,H2850 and the Amorites,H567 the Canaanites,H3669 and the Perizzites,H6522 the Hivites,H2340 and the Jebusites;H2983 as the LordH3068 thy GodH430 hath commandedH6680(PielPerf) thee: ^[18] That they teachH3925(PielImpf) you not to doH6213(QalInf) after all their abominations,H8441 which they have doneH6213(QalPerf) unto their gods;H430 so should ye sinH2398(QalPerf) against the LordH3068 your God.H430 ^[19] When thou shalt besiegeH6696(QalImpf) a cityH5892 a longH7227 time,H3117 in making warH3898(NiphInf) against it to takeH8610(QalInf) it, thou shalt not destroyH7843(HiphImpf) the treesH6086 thereof by forcingH5080(QalInf) an axeH1631 against them: for thou mayest eatH398(QalImpf) of them, and thou shalt not cut them downH3772(QalImpf) (for the treeH6086 of the fieldH7704 [is] man’sH120 [life]) to employH935(QalInf) [them] in the siege:H6440 ^[20] Only the treesH6086 which thou knowestH3045(QalImpf) that they [be] not treesH6086 for meat,H3978 thou shalt destroyH7843(HiphImpf) and cut them down;H3772(QalPerf) and thou shalt buildH1129(QalPerf) bulwarksH4692 against the cityH5892 that makethH6213(QalActPtc) warH4421 with thee, until it be subdued.H3381(QalInf)

Byzantine Greek New Testament

Not available in Byzantine Greek New Testament