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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"><title>Deuteronomy 20 Christian Standard Bible</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" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></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="../">CSB</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 width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="../menu.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><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">Christian Standard Bible</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/csb/esv/deuteronomy/20.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Verses"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><section epub:type="chapter" id="csb-Deuteronomy.20" /><h3 class="head1">Rules for War</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.1" /><A name="2"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.1.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> do not be afraid of them, for the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.1.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> is with you. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.2" /> <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.2.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.3" /> <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>He is to say to them, ‘Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be cowardly. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.4" /> <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>For the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.4.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> against your enemies to give you victory.’</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.5" /> <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>“The officers are to address the army, ‘Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.6" /> <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit?<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Deuteronomy.20.6.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> Let him leave and return home. Otherwise he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Deuteronomy.20.6.2"><span class="fnAlphabet">B</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.7" /> <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Has any man become engaged to a woman and not married her? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise he may die in battle and another man marry her.’ <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.8" /> <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>The officers will continue to address the army and say, ‘Is there any man who is afraid or cowardly? Let him leave and return home, so that his brothers won’t lose heart as he did.’<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Deuteronomy.20.8.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">a</span></a> <a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.8.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.9" /> <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>When the officers have finished addressing the army, they will appoint military commanders to lead it.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.10" /> <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“When you approach a city to fight against it, make an offer of peace. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.11" /> <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>If it accepts your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.11.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.12" /> <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.13" /> <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>When the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God hands it over to you, strike down all its males with the sword.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.13.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.14" /> <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>But you may take the women, dependents, animals, and whatever else is in the city — all its spoil — as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God has given you. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.15" /> <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and are not among the cities of these nations. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.16" /> <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>However, you must not let any living thing survive among the cities of these people the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God is giving you as an inheritance. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.17" /> <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>You must completely destroy them — the Hethite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite — as the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God has commanded you, <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.18" /> <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>so that they won’t teach you to do all the detestable acts they do for their gods, and you sin against the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> your God.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Deuteronomy.20.18.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.19" /> <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it in order to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can get food from them. Do not cut them down. Are trees of the field human, to come under siege by you? <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Deuteronomy.20.20" /> <span class="reftext"><a href="/deuteronomy/20-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce food. You may cut them down to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.</p><br /><section id="footnotes-Deuteronomy.20" class="fnSection"><aside id="fn.Deuteronomy.20.6.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.6">20:6</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">not put it to use</span></aside><aside id="fn.Deuteronomy.20.6.2"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.6">20:6</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">man put it to use</span></aside><aside id="fn.Deuteronomy.20.8.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.8">20:8</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">brothers’ hearts won’t melt like his own</span></aside><br /><section id="cross-references-Deuteronomy.20" class="xrfSection"><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.1.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.1">20:1</a></span> Jos 17:18; 2Ch 32:8; Ps 20:7; Is 31:1</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.1.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.1">20:1</a></span> Dt 1:26–40</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.2.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.2">20:2</a></span> 2Ch 13:12; 32:8</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.4.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.4">20:4</a></span> Ex 14:14; Dt 1:30; 3:22; 31:6,8; Jos 23:10; Jdg 9:17; Jr 42:11</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.8.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.8">20:8</a></span> Jdg 7:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.11.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.11">20:11</a></span> Ex 1:11; Jos 16:10; 17:13; Jdg 1:28–35; 2Sm 20:24; 1Kg 5:13–14; 9:21</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.13.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.13">20:13</a></span> Nm 31:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Deuteronomy.20.18.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Deuteronomy.20.17">20:17-18</a></span> Dt 7:1–5</aside><br /><section id="study-notes-Deuteronomy.20" class="snSection"><br /></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Christian Standard Bible. 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