1 si exieris ad bellum contra hostes tuos
et videris equitatum et currus
et maiorem quam tu habes adversarii exercitus
multitudinem
non timebis eos quia Dominus Deus tuus tecum est
qui eduxit te de terra Aegypti
2 adpropinquante autem iam proelio
stabit sacerdos ante aciem et sic loquetur ad populum
3 audi Israhel vos hodie contra inimicos vestros pugnam committitis
non pertimescat cor vestrum
nolite metuere nolite cedere nec formidetis eos
4 quia Dominus Deus vester in medio vestri est
et pro vobis contra adversarios dimicabit ut eruat vos de periculo
5 duces quoque per singulas turmas audiente exercitu proclamabunt
quis est homo qui aedificavit domum novam et non dedicavit eam
vadat et revertatur in domum suam
ne forte moriatur in bello et alius dedicet illam
6 quis est homo qui plantavit vineam
et necdum eam fecit esse communem
et de qua vesci omnibus liceat
vadat et revertatur in domum suam
ne forte moriatur in bello et alius homo eius fungatur officio
7 quis est homo qui despondit uxorem et non accepit eam
vadat et revertatur in domum suam
ne forte moriatur in bello et alius homo accipiat eam
8 his dictis addent reliqua et loquentur ad populum
quis est homo formidolosus et corde pavido
vadat et revertatur in domum suam
ne pavere faciat corda fratrum suorum
sicut ipse timore perterritus est
9 cumque siluerint exercitus duces et finem loquendi
fecerint
unusquisque suos ad bellandum cuneos praeparabit
10 si quando accesseris ad expugnandam civitatem
offeres ei primum pacem
11 si receperit et aperuerit tibi portas
cunctus populus qui in ea est salvabitur et serviet tibi sub tributo
12 sin autem foedus inire noluerint
et receperint contra te bellum
obpugnabis eam
13 cumque tradiderit Dominus Deus tuus illam in manu tua
percuties omne quod in ea generis masculini est in ore gladii
14 absque mulieribus et infantibus
iumentis et ceteris quae in civitate sunt
omnem praedam exercitui divides
et comedes de spoliis hostium tuorum
quae Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi
15 sic facies cunctis civitatibus quae a te procul valde sunt
et non sunt de his urbibus quas in possessionem
accepturus es
16 de his autem civitatibus quae dabuntur tibi
nullum omnino permittes vivere
17 sed interficies in ore gladii
Hettheum videlicet et Amorreum et Chananeum
Ferezeum et Eveum et Iebuseum
sicut praecepit tibi Dominus Deus tuus
18 ne forte doceant vos facere cunctas abominationes
quas ipsi operati sunt diis suis
et peccetis in Dominum Deum vestrum
19 quando obsederis civitatem multo tempore
et munitionibus circumdederis ut expugnes eam
non succides arbores de quibus vesci potest
nec securibus per circuitum debes vastare regionem
quoniam lignum est et non homo
nec potest bellantium contra te augere numerum
20 si qua autem ligna non sunt pomifera sed agrestia
et in ceteros apta usus
succide et extrue machinas
donec capias civitatem quae contra te dimicat
1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 ¶ And 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. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. 7 And 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. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
10 ¶ When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. 12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely , the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
19 ¶ When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life ) to employ them in the siege: 20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.