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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Deuteronomy 20 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/deuteronomy/20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/deuteronomy/20-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ISV</a> > Deuteronomy 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../deuteronomy/19.htm" title="Deuteronomy 19">◄</a> Deuteronomy 20 <a href="../deuteronomy/21.htm" title="Deuteronomy 21">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/deuteronomy/20.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Rules of War</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>“When you go to war against your enemies and observe more horses, chariots, and soldiers<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:1 Lit. people">a</a></span> than you have, don’t be afraid of them, for the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt is with you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>As you draw near for battle, let the priest approach and speak to the army.<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:2 Lit. people; and so throughout the chapter">b</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>He will say to them, ‘Listen, Israel! You’re about to go into battle today against your enemies. Don’t be faint-hearted. Don’t be afraid, don’t panic, and don’t be terrified to face them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>For the LORD your God will be with you, fighting on your behalf against your enemies in order to grant you victory.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>“Furthermore, let the officials ask the army, ‘Is there a man here<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:5 The Heb. lacks here">c</a></span> who has built a new house but has not yet dedicated it? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And is there a man here<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:6 The Heb. lacks here ">d</a></span> who has planted a vineyard and not yet benefited from it? Let him go home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man use it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>And is there a man here<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:7 The Heb. lacks here">e</a></span> who is engaged to a woman and has not yet married her? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man marry her.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>“Let the officials also speak to the army, ‘Is there a man here<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:8 The Heb. lacks here">f</a></span> who is afraid and faint-hearted? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may demoralize his fellow soldier.’<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:8 Lit. his brother">g</a></span> </p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>“When the officials have finished speaking to the army, they must appoint officers to lead the troops.”</p> <p class="heading">Rules of Peace</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“When you approach a city to wage war against it, extend terms of peace. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>If it agrees to peace and welcomes you, then all the people found in it will serve you as forced laborers. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>But if they refuse to make peace with you and instead choose war, then attack it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>The LORD your God will deliver it into your control, and you must execute every male. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>The women, children, all the livestock in the city, and all of the spoil and plunder will belong to you. Appropriate the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God will give you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Do this to all the cities that are distant from you—that is, to those cities that are not in neighboring nations.”</p> <p class="heading">Destruction of the Canaanites</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>“You are not to leave even one person alive in the cities of these nations that the LORD your God is about to give you as an inheritance. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>You must completely destroy the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as the LORD your God commanded you, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>so they won’t teach you to do all the detestable things that they do for their gods. If you do what they teach you, you will sin against the LORD your God.”</p> <p class="heading">Preservation of Fruit Trees</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“When you attack a city and have to fight against it for many days, don’t destroy its trees by cutting them down with an ax. You may eat from them, but you must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human beings, that you would come and attack them? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/20-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>However, you may cut down the trees whose fruit<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="20:20 The Heb. lacks whose fruit">h</a></span> you know isn’t edible, in order to build siege works against the city that waged war with you, until it falls.”</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 20:1 Lit. <i>people</i><br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 20:2 Lit. <i>people</i>; and so throughout the chapter<br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 20:5 The Heb. lacks <i>here</i><br /><span class="fnb">d</span> 20:6 The Heb. lacks <i>here</i><br /><span class="fnb">e</span> 20:7 The Heb. lacks <i>here</i><br /><span class="fnb">f</span> 20:8 The Heb. lacks <i>here</i><br /><span class="fnb">g</span> 20:8 Lit. <i>his brother</i><br /><span class="fnb">h</span> 20:20 The Heb. lacks <i>whose fruit</i><br /></span><br><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><div align="center"><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1<br />Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation<br />ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../deuteronomy/19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Deuteronomy 19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Deuteronomy 19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../deuteronomy/21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Deuteronomy 21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Deuteronomy 21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/deuteronomy/20-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><div align="center" style="background-color:#F2FAFF"><br /><br /><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table><br /><br /><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/botmenubhnm2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe><div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>