1 GLT When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God{ is} with you, who raised you up from the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 GLT And it will be, as you draw near to the battle, then the priest shall approach and speak to the people. BSB BSB: When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,
3 GLT And he shall say to them,‘Listen, Israel, you are approaching today to battle against your enemies. You shall not soften your hearts. You shall not fear or panic or be terrified of them, BSB BSB: saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
4 GLT for Yahweh your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ BSB BSB: For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
5 GLT And the officers shall speak to the people, saying,‘Who{ is} the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle and another man dedicates it. BSB BSB: Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
6 GLT And who{ is} the man that has planted a vineyard and has not put it into use? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle and another man puts it to use. BSB BSB: Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
7 GLT And who{ is} the man that is engaged{ to} a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle and another man takes her.’ BSB BSB: Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
8 GLT And the officers shall continue to speak to the people and say,‘Who{ is} the man who fears and{ is} soft of heart? Let him go and return to his house, and the heart of his brother will not melt like his heart.’ BSB BSB: Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
9 GLT And it will be, as the officers finish speaking to the people, then they shall appoint leaders of the armies as heads of the people. BSB BSB: When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
10 GLT When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you shall call to it for peace. BSB BSB: When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.
11 GLT And it will be, if it answers,‘Peace,’ and opens to you, then it will be, all the people found in it shall become for you as forced labor and serve you. BSB BSB: If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
12 GLT And if it does not make peace with you and makes war with you, then you shall siege upon it, BSB BSB: But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.
13 GLT and Yahweh your God will give it into your hand, and you shall strike every foreigner by the mouth of the sword. BSB BSB: When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.
14 GLT But the women and the children and the cattle and everything that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself, and you shall consume the spoil of your enemies, whom Yahweh your God has given to you. BSB BSB: But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
15 GLT Thus you shall do to all the cities very far from you, which{ are} not from the cities of these nations here. BSB BSB: This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16 GLT Only from the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving to you{ as} an inheritance, all breathing things shall not live. BSB BSB: However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
17 GLT But, you shall indeed destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you BSB BSB: For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
18 GLT so that they do not teach you to do like any of their abominations that they do for their gods, for you will sin against Yahweh your God. BSB BSB: so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
19 GLT When you lay siege to a city many days, battling against it to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against it. For you shall eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man coming before your face to besiege? BSB BSB: When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
20 GLT But a tree that you know that is not a tree for food, you shall destroy it and cut down; and you shall build siege works against the city which it makes war with you, until it falls. BSB BSB: But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.