Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
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.
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When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
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:
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Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the troops,
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:
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and shall say to them: "Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near to do battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, or be afraid, or panic, or be in dread of them;
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.
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for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory."
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.
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Then the officials shall address the troops, saying, "Has anyone built a new house but not dedicated it? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another dedicate it.
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.
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Has anyone planted a vineyard but not yet enjoyed its fruit? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another be first to enjoy its fruit.
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.
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Has anyone become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another marry her."
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.
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The officials shall continue to address the troops, saying, "Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own."
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.
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When the officials have finished addressing the troops, then the commanders shall take charge of them.
10 If at any time thou come to fight against a city, thou shalt first offer it peace.
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When you draw near to a town to fight against it, offer it terms of peace.
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.
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If it accepts your terms of peace and surrenders to you, then all the people in it shall serve you at forced labor.
12 But if they will not make peace, and shall begin war against thee, thou shalt besiege it.
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If it does not submit to you peacefully, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it;
13 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword,
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and when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword.
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.
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You may, however, take as your booty the women, the children, livestock, and everything else in the town, all its spoil. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given 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.
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Thus you shall treat all the towns that are very far from you, which are not towns of the nations here.
16 But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live:
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But as for the towns of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive.
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:
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You shall annihilate them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded,
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.
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so that they may not teach you to do all the abhorrent things that they do for their gods, and you thus sin against the Lord your God.
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.
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If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?
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.
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You may destroy only the trees that you know do not produce food; you may cut them down for use in building siegeworks against the town that makes war with you, until it falls.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.