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.
交戰的條例
1「你們和敵人交戰時，面對比你們強大的軍隊及戰車戰馬，不要害怕，因為你們的上帝耶和華與你們同在，祂曾帶你們出埃及。 2你們出戰之前，祭司要上前鼓舞士氣， 3說，『以色列人啊，聽著！今天你們要和敵人交戰，不要膽小害怕，也不要驚慌失措。 4因為你們的上帝耶和華要與你們同去，為你們爭戰，使你們戰勝仇敵。』 5官長要對士兵說，『你們誰建了新房子還沒有舉行奉獻禮20·5 「舉行奉獻禮」指入住前舉行的儀式。？他可以回家去，以免他陣亡了，別人為他的房子舉行奉獻禮。 6誰栽種了葡萄園還沒有享受過園中的果子？他可以回家去，以免他陣亡了，別人享受他園中的果子。 7誰訂了親還沒有迎娶？他可以回家去，以免他陣亡了，別人娶他的未婚妻。』 8官長也要告訴士兵，『有沒有膽怯、害怕的？他可以回家去，免得影響他人士氣。』 9他們講完後，就要委派將領率軍出戰。
攻城之略
10「你們進攻一座城之前，要先給城中居民求和的機會。 11如果他們開城求和，城裡所有人都要做你們的奴隸，為你們服勞役。 12如果他們不肯求和，要交戰，你們就要圍攻那城。 13你們的上帝耶和華把城交給你們時，你們要用刀殺光城裡所有的男子， 14但可以留下城中的婦女、孩童、牲畜及其他一切作戰利品。你們可以享用仇敵的財物，那是你們的上帝耶和華賜給你們的。 15上述做法只適用於離你們很遙遠的城邑，你們附近各族的城邑除外。 16你們的上帝耶和華將把你們附近各族的城邑賜給你們作產業，你們要將裡面有氣息的全部消滅。 17要遵照你們的上帝耶和華的吩咐，徹底滅絕赫人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人， 18免得他們將祭拜自己神明的可憎習俗傳給你們，以致你們得罪你們的上帝耶和華。
19「你們圍攻一座城久攻不下時，不可用斧頭砍掉那裡的樹木，因為你們可以吃樹上的果子。田間的樹木豈是人，讓你們圍攻嗎？ 20但你們可以砍那些不結果子的樹來建圍城的工事，直到攻陷為止。
