1When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and more people than you, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, is with you.
2When you are about to go into battle, the priest must come forward and speak to the people.
3He must tell them, 'Listen, Israel! Today you are about to go into battle against your enemies. Don't lose heart! Don't be afraid, don't tremble, and don't be terrified of them,'
4for Yahweh your God is going with you, to fight for you against your enemies and to save you.'
5The officers must speak to the people and say, 'Is there anyone here who has built a new house but hasn't dedicated it? He should go back home, otherwise he might die in battle and someone else will dedicate it.
6Is there anyone here who has planted a vineyard but hasn't enjoyed its fruit? He should go back home, otherwise he might die in battle and someone else will enjoy its fruit.
7Is there anyone here who is engaged to be married but hasn't taken his wife yet? He should go back home, otherwise he might die in battle and another man will marry her.'
8The officers must also tell the people, 'Is there anyone here who is scared and fainthearted? He should go back home, so that his fear does not spread to his fellow soldiers.'
9After the officers have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint commanders to lead the armies.
10When you approach a city to attack it, first offer terms of peace.
11If the city agrees to your terms and opens its gates, then all the people found inside will become your forced laborers and serve you.
12But if the city refuses to make peace with you and instead wages war, then you must lay siege to it.
13When Yahweh your God helps you conquer a city, you must kill every male in it with your sword.
14However, you may take the women, children, livestock, and everything else in the city as your own plunder. You can use the plundered goods from your enemies that Yahweh your God has given you.
15You should do this for all cities that are very far away from you, which are not cities of these specific nations.
16But for the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as your inheritance, you must not let anyone live.
17You must completely destroy them: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as Yahweh your God has commanded you.
18This is so they don't teach you to follow all the detestable practices they do for their gods, which would cause you to sin against Yahweh your God.
19When you surround a city for a long time, fighting to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by chopping them down with an ax, because you can eat their fruit. You should not cut them down, for is a tree in the field a human being that you should besiege it?
20You may only destroy and cut down trees that you know are not food trees. You shall build siege works against the city that is at war with you until it falls.