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Statutes About Warfare

20 “If you go out to battle against your enemies and see (A)horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, (B)do not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. Now it will be, when you are drawing near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near to the battle against your enemies today. Do not let your heart be faint. (C)Do not be afraid, nor be alarmed, nor be in dread before them, for Yahweh your God (D)is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not (E)dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not [a]begun to use its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man [b]begin to use its fruit. (F)And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not [c]married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man [d]marry her.’ Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘(G)Who is the man that is afraid and whose heart is faint? Let him go and return to his house, so that [e]he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’ Now it will be that when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 20:6 Lit treat(ed) it as common
  2. Deuteronomy 20:6 Lit treat(ed) it as common
  3. Deuteronomy 20:7 Lit taken
  4. Deuteronomy 20:7 Lit take
  5. Deuteronomy 20:8 As in Gr and other ancient versions

20 “If you go out to war against your enemies and you see a horse and a chariot, an army[a] larger that you, you shall not be afraid because of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, the one who brought you from the land of Egypt. And then[b] when you approach the battle, then the priest shall come near and speak to the troops. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, Israel, you are near today[c] to the battle against your enemies; do not lose heart;[d] you shall not be afraid, and you shall not panic, and you shall not be terrified because of them,[e] for Yahweh your God is going with you to fight for you against your enemies to help you.’ And the officials shall speak to the troops, saying,[f] ‘Who is the man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to this house, so that he does not die in battle and another man[g] dedicates it. And who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed it? Let him go and let him return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man[h] enjoys it. And who is the man who got engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and let him return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and another man[i] marries her.’ And the officials shall continue to speak to the troops, and they shall say, ‘What man[j] is afraid and disheartened?[k] Let him go, and let him return to his house, and let him not cause the heart of his brothers to melt[l] like his.’ And when the officials have finished speaking[m] to the army troops, then they shall appoint commanders of divisions at the head of the troops.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 20:1 Literally “a people”
  2. Deuteronomy 20:2 Literally “And it will happen”
  3. Deuteronomy 20:3 Literally “the day”
  4. Deuteronomy 20:3 Literally “do not be faint/tender-hearted”
  5. Deuteronomy 20:3 Literally “from their faces”
  6. Deuteronomy 20:5 Literally “to say”
  7. Deuteronomy 20:5 Literally “a man other”
  8. Deuteronomy 20:6 Literally “a man other”
  9. Deuteronomy 20:7 Literally “a man other”
  10. Deuteronomy 20:8 Literally “Who is the man”
  11. Deuteronomy 20:8 Literally “and soft/weak of the heart”
  12. Deuteronomy 20:8 The verb has a causal meaning here
  13. Deuteronomy 20:9 Literally “it will happen as to finish the officials to speak”