Thursday, March 10, 2022

These Are the Words (Deuteronomy) 20

 1 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Double Straights (Egypt).

 2 It shall be when you come near the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

 3 He shall say to them: Hear, O God Prevails (Israel), you approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them;

 4 For I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

 5 The officers shall speak to the people, saying: What man is there that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he dies in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return to his house, lest he dies in the battle, and another man eats of it.

7 And what man is there that has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he dies in the battle, and another man take her.

 8 The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say: What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to 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 to the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

10 When you come near a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.

 11 It shall be, if it responds to you answer of peace, and opens to you, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall be tributaries to you, and they shall serve you.

 12 But if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it:

 13 And when I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) has delivered it into your hands, you shall 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, you shall take to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) has given you.

 15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.

 16 But of the cities of these people, which I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes:

 17 You shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Terrors (Hittite), the Talkers, Sayers (Amorite), the Humbled Ones (Canaanites), Those Belonging to a Village (Perizzites), the Villagers (Hivites), and the Trodden Underfoot (Jebusites); as I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym) has commanded you:

 18 So they do not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so, should you sin against I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God (‘Elohiym).

 19 When you besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them. They are for you to eat. You shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:

 20 You shall destroy only the trees which you know are not trees for food and cut down to build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you until it is subdued.

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