Deuteronomy 20
1WHEN thou shalt go out to battle against thine enemies, and see horsemen, and charioteers, and a people more numerous than thou art; be not afraid of them; for the Lord thy God is with thee—He who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2And when thou art near coming to battle, the priest shall approach, and speak to the people,
3and say to them, Hear, O Israel! You are now going to battle against your enemies; let not your heart be discouraged; fear not, nor be dismayed, nor turn aside from before them;
4for the Lord your God goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you.
5Then the scribes shall speak to the people, and say, If there be any man who 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.
6Or is there any man who hath planted a vineyard, and hath not been regaled with it; let him go, and return to his family, lest he die in the battle, and another man be regaled with it.
7Or is there any man who hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her home; let him go, and return to his family, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
8And the scribes shall further speak to the people, and say, Is there any man fearful, and faint-hearted; let him go, and return to his family, lest he make the heart of his brother faint as his own.
9And when the scribes have done speaking to the people, they shall appoint the chiefs of the army to lead on the people.
10And when thou art come to a city, to fight against it, thou shalt call upon the inhabitants to come out peaceably.
11And if they return thee a peaceful answer, and open to thee; all the people who are found therein shall be tributary to thee, and be thy subjects.
12But if they hearken not to thee, and make war against thee, thou shalt besiege it,
13until the Lord thy God deliver it into thy hands. And when thou hast smitten all the males therein with the slaughter of the sword, thou shalt take for thyself,
14besides the women and the children, all the cattle, and all spoils that are in the city, and eat all the prey of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
15In this manner thou shalt treat all the cities which are at a great distance from thee, which are not of the cities of those nations whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee for a possession.
16Of these you shall save none alive that breatheth;
17but, with an anathema thou shalt dedicate to destruction the Chettite and the Amorite, and the Chananite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Gergasite, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee;
18that they may not teach you all their abominations which they have performed to their gods; and that you may not sin before the Lord your God.
19Now when thou shalt sit down before a city, many days, to war against it till it be taken, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by striking an axe against them. That especially, the fruit of which thou mayst eat, thou shalt not cut down. Doth any man wish to have a tree in the field for the purpose of a rampart for thee;
20let it be that only which thou knowest is not a fruit bearing tree. This thou mayst destroy and cut down, to build ramparts against the city which resisteth thee, until it be delivered up.