When you go to [wage] war against your enemy, and you see horse and chariot, people who outnumber you; do not be afraid of them, for [the word of] Adonoy, your God, is with you [will aid you], He Who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Now, as you [come] near the battle [to wage war], the kohein shall approach and speak to the people.

He will say to them, ‘‘Hear, Yisroel! You are setting out today to battle [to wage war] against your enemies. Do not be faint hearted; or intimidated and do not panic, and do not be crushed [broken] before them;

Because Adonoy, your God, marches with you [before you] to do battle [wage war] for you with your enemies to save you.’’

The officers will address the people as follows, ‘‘Whichever man has built a new house and did not inaugurate it as a dwelling, let him go and return home lest he die in battle [while waging war] and another man will inaugurate it.

And whichever man has planted a vineyard and did not redeem it[s fruit,] let him go and return home, lest he die in battle [while waging war] and another man redeem it.

And whichever man has betrothed a woman and not married her, let him go and return home, lest he die in battle [while waging war] and another man marry her.’’

The officers will further address the people and say. ‘‘Whoever is afraid or faint [broken] hearted, let him go and return home, and let him not destroy the resolve [break the heart] of his brothers like his own resolve.’’

When the officers finish addressing the people; they will appoint army commanders at the head of the people.

When you near a city to do battle against it, you are to offer it [words of] peace.

Should it respond, ‘‘Peace!’’ and open for you, then all the people found in it will become your payers of tribute, and your servants.

And if it does not settle for peace with you but engages in war against you, you shall lay siege to it.

Adonoy, your God, will deliver it into your hand, and you will smite all its males by the sword.

However, the women and the children, and the animals, and everything that will be in the city—all its booty—are you to plunder for yourself; you will eat the booty of your enemies that Adonoy, your God, gave you.

So will you do to all the cities, that are very distant from you, that are not among the cities of these nations.

However, from the cities of these peoples that Adonoy, your God, is giving you as inheritance, you are not to leave any person alive.

Rather annihilate are you to annihilate them: the Chittites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites; as Adonoy, your God, commanded you.

In order that they do not teach you to do any of their abominations that they did for their gods [idols], and you will sin to [before] Adonoy, your God.

If you besiege a city many days to wage war against it, to capture it, do not harm [any of] its trees by chopping it with an ax, because you eat from it you are not to cut it down; For, is [not] the tree in the field a man to join the besieged to escape you?

Only a tree that you know that it is not a fruit tree may you harm or cut down; and you will build battlements [fortifications] against the city that is waging war against you until it is conquered.