The Bible in Basic English BBE
New International Version NIV
7 Or if any man is newly married and has had no sex relations with his wife, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another man may not take her.
7
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.”
8 And let the overseers go on to say to the people, If there is any man whose heart is feeble with fear, let him go back to his house before he makes the hearts of his countrymen feeble.
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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.”
9 Then, after saying these words to the people, let the overseers put captains over the army.
9
When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
10 When you come to a town, before attacking it, make an offer of peace.
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When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.
11 And if it gives you back an answer of peace, opening its doors to you, then all the people in it may be put to forced work as your servants.
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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.
12 If however it will not make peace with you, but war, then let it be shut in on all sides:
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If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
13 And when the Lord your God has given it into your hands, let every male in it be put to death without mercy.
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When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
14 But the women and the children and the cattle and everything in the town and all its wealth, you may take for yourselves: the wealth of your haters, which the Lord your God has given you, will be your food.
14
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.
15 So you are to do to all the towns far away, which are not the towns of these nations.
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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 But in the towns of these peoples whose land the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, let no living thing be kept from death:
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However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
17 Give them up to the curse; the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has given you orders:
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Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.