When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses , chariots , and an army larger than yours , do not be afraid for the LORD your God , who brought you out of the land of Egypt , is with you.
When you are about to go into battle , the priest is to come forward and address ... the army ,
saying to them , “ Hear , O Israel , today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted ... (or) afraid ; do not be alarmed ... or terrified because of them.
For the LORD your God goes with you to fight against your enemies , to give you the victory -. ”
Furthermore, the officers ... are to address the army , saying , “ Has any man - built a new house and not dedicated it ? Let him return ... home , or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Has any man - planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit ? Let him return ... home , or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
Has any man - become pledged to a woman and not married her ? Let him return ... home , or he may die in battle and another man marry her. ”
Then the officers shall speak further to the army , saying , “ Is any man afraid or fainthearted ... ? Let him return ... home , so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own. ” -
- When the officers have finished addressing ... the army , they are to appoint vvv commanders to lead it ....
When you approach ... a city to fight against it , you are to make an offer ... of peace.
If they accept your offer of peace and open (their gates) - all the people (there) will become forced laborers to serve
But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you , lay siege to (that city).
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand , you must put - every male vvv to the sword.
But the women , children , livestock , and whatever - else is in the city — all its spoil — you may take as plunder and you shall use - the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives
This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you ... - and do not - belong to the ... nations nearby.
However , in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving as an inheritance , vvv you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
For you must devote them to complete destruction ... — the Hittites , Amorites , Canaanites , Perizzites , Hivites , and Jebusites — as the LORD your God has commanded you ,
so that - they cannot teach - you to do all the detestable things - they do for their gods , and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it , you must not destroy - its trees by putting an axe to them , because you can eat their fruit - -. You must not cut them down. ... Are the trees of the field human , vvv vvv that you should besiege them ?
But you may destroy the trees that you know ... do not ... produce fruit ... -. (Use them) to build siege works against the city that ... is waging war against you , until it falls.