Devarim 20

1. When thou goest out to milchamah against thine enemies, and seest sus (horses), and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them; for Hashem Eloheicha is with thee, which brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim.

2. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the milchamah, that the kohen shall approach and speak unto the people,

3. And shall say unto them, Shema, Yisroel, ye approach today unto milchamah against your enemies; let not your hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

4. For Hashem Eloheicha is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

5. And the shoterim shall speak unto the people, saying, What ish is there that hath built a bais chadash, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish dedicate it.

6. And what ish is he that hath planted a kerem (vineyard), and hath not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish eat of it.

7. And what ish is there that hath betrothed an isha, and hath not taken her? Let him go and return unto his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish take her.

8. And the shoterim shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What ish is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return unto his bais, lest his brethren’s lev faint as well as his lev.

9. And it shall be, when the shoterim have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall appoint sarei tzvaos to lead the people.

10. When thou comest nigh unto a town to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of shalom unto it.

11. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of shalom, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that kol haAm that is found therein shall be servants, placed under tribute unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

12. And if it will make no shalom with thee, but engages in milchamah against thee, then thou shalt besiege it;

13. And when Hashem Eloheicha hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt strike every male thereof with the edge of the cherev;

14. But the nashim, and the little ones, and the behemah, and all that is in the town, even all the plunder thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the plunder of thine enemies Hashem Eloheicha hath given thee.

15. Thus shalt thou do unto all the towns which are very far off from thee, which are not of the towns of these Goyim.

16. But of the towns of these people, which Hashem Eloheicha doth give thee for a nachalah, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;

17. But thou shalt utterly put them under cherem of destruction; namely, the Chitti, and the Emori, the Kena’ni, and the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi; as Hashem Eloheicha hath commanded thee;

18. That they teach you not to do after all their to’evot (abominations) which they have done unto their elohim; so that ye would sin against Hashem Eloheichem.

19. When thou shalt besiege a town yamim rabbim, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them; although thou mayest eat of them, thou shalt not cut them down. Are the etz hasadeh men that they should come under your siege?

20. Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build siege works against the town that maketh milchamah with thee, until it be subdued.