Your Father Fights for You
Before battle a priest tells the army not to fear, because their Father goes with them. Then men are sent home — a new house, a new vineyard, a fiancée, or simple fear. Cities are offered peace first, and even besieging armies may not cut down fruit trees.
20 1When you go to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not fear them, for your Father is with you—the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and speak to the people. 3He is to tell them, "Hear, Israel: today you go to battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, do not fear, do not panic, do not be terrified of them, 4for your Father goes with you, to fight your enemies for you and give you victory."
5Then the officers will tell the people: "Has anyone built a new house but not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and another dedicate it. 6Has anyone planted a vineyard but not yet enjoyed its fruit? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and another enjoy it. 7Has anyone become engaged to a woman but not married her? He may go home, or he might die in battle and another man marry her." 8The officers are to say further to the people, "Is there anyone who is afraid and has lost his nerve? He may go home, so his brothers' hearts do not melt like his own." 9When the officers finish speaking to the people, they will appoint army commanders to lead them.
10When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer it peace. 11If it answers you peaceably and opens to you, all its people will serve you as forced laborers. 12But if it refuses peace and makes war on you, then lay siege to it. 13When your Father hands it over to you, put all its males to the sword. 14But the women, children, livestock, and all else in the city—all its spoil—you may plunder for yourselves, and enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which your Father has given you. 15Treat every city far away, not among these nations' cities, this way. 16But in the cities of these peoples your Father gives you as an inheritance, leave alive nothing that breathes. 17Rather, devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as your Father has commanded you, 18so they won't teach you to imitate all the detestable things they do for their gods, making you sin against your Father.
19When you besiege a city a long time, waging war to capture it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them. You may eat from them, but do not cut them down. For the trees of the field are not human, that they should be treated as your enemy. 20You may cut down only trees you know are not for food, so that you may build siege works against the city at war with you until it falls.
