Laws of Warfare
1When thou goest outto battleagainst thine enemies,and seesthorses,and chariots,[and] a peoplemorethan thou, be not afraidof them: for the LORDthy God[is] with thee, which brought thee upout of the landof Egypt.2And it shall be, when ye are come nighunto the battle,that the priestshall approachand speakunto the people,3And shall sayunto them, Hear,O Israel,ye approachthis dayunto battleagainst your enemies:let not your heartsfaint,fearnot, and do not tremble,neither be ye terrifiedbecauseof them;4For the LORDyour God[is] he that goethwith you, to fightfor you against your enemies,to saveyou.5And the officersshall speakunto the people,saying,What man[is there] that hath builta newhouse,and hath not dedicatedit? let him goand returnto his house,lest he diein the battle,and anothermandedicateit.6And what man[is he] that hath planteda vineyard,and hath not [yet] eatenof it? let him [also] goand returnunto his house,lest he diein the battle,and anothermaneatof it.7And what man[is there] that hath betrotheda wife,and hath not takenher? let him goand returnunto his house,lest he diein the battle,and anothermantakeher.8And the officersshall speakfurtherunto the people,and they shall say,What man[is there that is] fearfuland fainthearted?let him goand returnunto his house,lest his brethren'sheartfaintas well as his heart.9And it shall be, when the officershave made an endof speakingunto the people,that they shall makecaptainsof the armiesto leadthe people.
10When thou comest nighunto a cityto fightagainst it, then proclaimpeaceunto it.11And it shall be, if it make thee answerof peace,and openunto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people[that is] foundtherein shall be tributariesunto thee, and they shall servethee.12And if it will make no peacewith thee, but will makewaragainst thee, then thou shalt besiegeit:13And when the LORDthy Godhath deliveredit into thine hands,thou shalt smiteevery malethereof with the edgeof the sword:14But the women,and the little ones,and the cattle,and all that is in the city,[even] all the spoilthereof, shalt thou takeunto thyself; and thou shalt eatthe spoilof thine enemies,which the LORDthy Godhath giventhee.15Thus shalt thou dounto all the cities[which are] veryfar offfrom thee, which[are] not of the citiesof these nations.16But of the citiesof these people,which the LORDthy Goddoth givethee [for] an inheritance,thou shalt save alivenothing that breatheth:17But thou shalt utterlydestroythem; [namely], the Hittites,and the Amorites,the Canaanites,and the Perizzites,the Hivites,and the Jebusites;as the LORDthy Godhath commandedthee:18That they teachyou not to doafter all their abominations,which they have doneunto their gods;so should ye sinagainst the LORDyour God.
19When thou shalt besiegea citya longtime,in making waragainst it to takeit, thou shalt not destroythe treesthereof by forcingan axeagainst them: for thou mayest eatof them, and thou shalt not cut them down(for the treeof the field[is] man's[life]) to employ[them] in the siege:20Only the treeswhich thou knowestthat they [be] not treesfor meat,thou shalt destroyand cut them down;and thou shalt buildbulwarksagainst the citythat makethwarwith thee, until it be subdued.
