Deuteronomy 20

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 'When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater thanyour own, you must not be afraid of them; Yahweh your God is with you, he who brought you out of Egypt.	1 If thou go out to war against thy enemies, and see horsemen and chariots, and the numbers of the enemy's army greater than thine, thou shalt not fear them: because the Lord thy God is with thee, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
2 When you are about to join battle, the priest must come forward and address the people.	2 And when the battle is now at hand, the priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner:
3 He must say to them, "Listen, Israel: today you are about to join battle with your enemies. Do not befaint hearted. Let there be no fear or trembling or alarm as you face them.	3 Hear, O Israel, you join battle this day against your enemies, let not your heart be dismayed, be not afraid, do not give back, fear ye them not:
4 Yahweh your God is marching with you, to fight your enemies for you and make you victorious."	4 Because the Lord your God is in the midst of you, and will fight for you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.
5 'The scribes wil then address the people, as follows: "Has anyone built a new house and not yetdedicated it? Let him go home, in case he dies in battle and someone else performs the dedication.	5 And the captains shall proclaim through every band in the hearing of the army: What man is there, that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6 "Has anyone planted a vineyard and not yet enjoyed its fruit? Let him go home, in case he dies inbattle and someone else enjoys its fruit.	6 What man is there, that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not as yet made it to be common, whereof all men may eat? let him go, and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man execute his office.
7 "Has anyone contracted to marry a girl and not yet married her? Let him go home, in case he dies inbattle and someone else marries her."	7 What man is there, that hath espoused a wife, and not taken her? let him go, and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man take her.
8 'Final y, the scribes wil say to the people: "Is anyone frightened or faint hearted? Let him go home, incase he makes his brothers faint hearted too!"	8 After these things are declared they shall add the rest, and shall speak to the people: What man is there that is fearful, and faint hearted? let him go, and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as he himself is possessed with fear.
9 'Then, when the scribes have finished speaking to the people, commanders wil be appointed to leadthem.	9 And when the captains of the army shall hold their peace, and have made an end of speaking, every man shall prepare their bands to fight.
10 'When you advance on a town to attack it, first offer it peace-terms.	10 If at any time thou come to fight against a city, thou shalt first offer it peace.
11 If it accepts these and opens its gates to you, all the people inside wil owe you forced labour andwork for you.	11 If they receive it, and open the gates to thee, all the people that are therein, shall be saved, and shall serve thee paying tribute.
12 But if it refuses peace and gives battle, you must besiege it.	12 But if they will not make peace, and shall begin war against thee, thou shalt besiege it.
13 Yahweh your God having handed it over to you, you wil put the whole male population to the sword.	13 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy bands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword,
14 But the women, children, livestock and whatever the town contains by way of spoil, you may take foryourselves as booty. You will feed on the spoils of the enemies whom Yahweh your God has handed over toyou.	14 Excepting women and children, cattle and other things, that are in the city. And thou shalt divide all the prey to the army, and thou shalt eat the spoils of thy enemies, which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
15 'That is how you will treat towns far away and not belonging to the nations near you.	15 So shalt thou do to all cities that are at a great distance from thee, and are not of these cities which thou shalt receive in possession.
16 But as regards the towns of those peoples whom Yahweh your God is giving you as your heritage,you must not spare the life of any living thing.	16 But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live:
17 Instead, you must lay them under the curse of destruction: Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites,Hivites and Jebusites, as Yahweh your God has commanded,	17 But shalt kill them with the edge of the sword, to wit, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:
18 so that they may not teach you to do al the detestable things which they do to honour their gods: indoing these, you would sin against Yahweh your God.	18 Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods: and you should sin against the Lord your God.
19 'If, when attacking a town, you have to besiege it for a long time before you capture it, you must notdestroy its trees by taking the axe to them: eat their fruit but do not cut them down. Is the tree in the fieldshuman, that you should besiege it too?	19 When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.
20 Any trees, however, which you know are not fruit trees, you may destroy and cut down and use tobuild siege-works against the hostile town until it fal s.'	20 But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.