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Going to War
1
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. SCode Deu 31:6 Deu 31:8 Jos 17:18 2Chr 32:8 2Chr 13:12 Psa 20:7 Isa 31:1
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When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. SCode Num 31:6~7 Num 10:8~9
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He shall say: "Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.
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For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." SCode Deu 3:22 Deu 1:30 Jos 23:10
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The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it.
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Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. SCode Lev 19:23~25 Deu 28:30 1Cor 9:7
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Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her." SCode Deu 24:5 Deu 28:30
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Then the officers shall add, "Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too." SCode Jdg 7:3
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When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
10
When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. SCode Deu 2:26 Jdg 21:13 2Sam 20:18 2Sam 20:20
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If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you.
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If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
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When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. SCode
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As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. SCode Num 31:9 Jos 8:2 Jos 22:8
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This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16
However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. SCode Num 33:52 Deu 7:1~2 Jos 11:14
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Completely destroy them - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites - as the Lord your God has commanded you. SCode Deu 7:2
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Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God. SCode Exo 23:33 Deu 7:4 Deu 18:9 Deu 12:30~31
19
When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them? SCode 2Ki 3:19 2Ki 3:25
20
However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.
NIV Footnotes
  1. 20:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. 20:19 Or down to use in the siege, for the fruit trees are for the benefit of people.
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