Going to War
1When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
5The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. 6Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. 7Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” 8Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” 9When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
10When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. 15This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17Completely destroy20:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.
19When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?20:19 Or down to use in the siege, for the fruit trees are for the benefit of people. 20However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.
交战的条例
1“你们和敌人交战时，面对比你们强大的军队及战车战马，不要害怕，因为你们的上帝耶和华与你们同在，祂曾带你们出埃及。 2你们出战之前，祭司要上前鼓舞士气， 3说，‘以色列人啊，听着！今天你们要和敌人交战，不要胆小害怕，也不要惊慌失措。 4因为你们的上帝耶和华要与你们同去，为你们争战，使你们战胜仇敌。’ 5官长要对士兵说，‘你们谁建了新房子还没有举行奉献礼20:5 “举行奉献礼”指入住前举行的仪式。？他可以回家去，以免他阵亡了，别人为他的房子举行奉献礼。 6谁栽种了葡萄园还没有享受过园中的果子？他可以回家去，以免他阵亡了，别人享受他园中的果子。 7谁订了亲还没有迎娶？他可以回家去，以免他阵亡了，别人娶他的未婚妻。’ 8官长也要告诉士兵，‘有没有胆怯、害怕的？他可以回家去，免得影响他人士气。’ 9他们讲完后，就要委派将领率军出战。
攻城之略
10“你们进攻一座城之前，要先给城中居民求和的机会。 11如果他们开城求和，城里所有人都要做你们的奴隶，为你们服劳役。 12如果他们不肯求和，要交战，你们就要围攻那城。 13你们的上帝耶和华把城交给你们时，你们要用刀杀光城里所有的男子， 14但可以留下城中的妇女、孩童、牲畜及其他一切作战利品。你们可以享用仇敌的财物，那是你们的上帝耶和华赐给你们的。 15上述做法只适用于离你们很遥远的城邑，你们附近各族的城邑除外。 16你们的上帝耶和华将把你们附近各族的城邑赐给你们作产业，你们要将里面有气息的全部消灭。 17要遵照你们的上帝耶和华的吩咐，彻底灭绝赫人、亚摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人， 18免得他们将祭拜自己神明的可憎习俗传给你们，以致你们得罪你们的上帝耶和华。
19“你们围攻一座城久攻不下时，不可用斧头砍掉那里的树木，因为你们可以吃树上的果子。田间的树木岂是人，让你们围攻吗？ 20但你们可以砍那些不结果子的树来建围城的工事，直到攻陷为止。
