1When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses , and chariots , and a people more than thou , thou shalt not be afraid of them ; for Jehovah thy God is with thee , who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt . 2And it shall be , when ye draw nigh unto the battle , that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people , 3and shall say unto them , Hear , O Israel , ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint ; fear not , nor tremble , neither be ye affrighted at them ; 4for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you , to fight for you against your enemies, to save you . 5And 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 . 6And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard , and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house , lest he die in the battle , and another man use the fruit thereof. 7And 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 . 8And the officers shall speak further unto the people , and they shall say , What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house , lest his brethren’s heart melt as his heart . 9And it shall be , when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people , that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people .
Cities of the Nations
10When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it , then proclaim peace unto it . 11And it shall be , if it make thee answer of peace , and open unto thee , then it shall be , that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee , and shall serve thee . 12And if it will make no peace with thee , but will make war against thee , then thou shalt besiege it : 13and when Jehovah thy God delivereth it into thy hand , thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword : 14but the women, and the little ones , and the cattle, and all that is in the city , even all the spoil thereof , shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee . 15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee , which are not of the cities of these nations .
The Destruction of Canaanite Cities
16But of the cities of these peoples , that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance , thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth ; 17but thou shalt utterly destroy them : the Hittite , and the Amorite, the Canaanite , and the Perizzite , the Hivite , and the Jebusite ; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee ; 18that they teach you not to do after all their abominations , which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God . 19When thou shalt besiege a city a long time , in making war against it to take it , thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them ; for thou mayest eat of them , and thou shalt not cut them down ; for is the tree of the field man , that it should be besieged of thee ? 20Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food , thou shalt destroy and cut them down ; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee , until it fall .