Douay Rheims Original ↷
Deuteronomy 20 📜 📕 ↷
Laws of Warfare
1 IF thou go forth to war against thine enemies, and see the horse men and chariots, and the multitude of the adversary's host greater than thou hast, thou shalt not fear them: because the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the Land of AEgypt.📜💬📚
2 And when the battle is now at hand, the Priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people thus:📜💬📚
3 Hear Israel, you this day join battle against your enemies, let not your heart fear, be not afraid, retire not, neither dread them:📜💬📚
4 because our Lord your God is in the midst of you, & will fight for you against your adversaries, to deliver you from danger.📜💬📚
5 The Captains also through every band in the hearing of the host shall proclaim: What man is there that hath built a new house, & hath not dedicated it? Let him go, & return into his house, lest perhaps he die in the battle, & an other 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 lawfully eat? Let him go, and return into his house: lest perhaps he die in the battle, and an other man execute his office.📜💬📚
7 What man is there, that hath despoused a wife, and not taken her? Let him go, and return into his house, lest perhaps he die in the war, and an other take her.📜💬📚
8 These things being said they shall add the rest, and shall speak to the people: What man is there fearful, and faint-hearted? Let him go, and return into his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as himself is frighted with fear.📜💬📚
9 And when the Captains of the host shall hold their peace, and make an end of speaking, every man shall prepare their bands to fight.📜💬📚
10 If at any time thou come to win a city, thou shalt first offer peace.📜💬📚
11 If they receive it, and open the gates to thee, all the people that is therein shall be saved, and shall serve thee under tribute.📜💬📚
12 But if they will not make peace, and shall begin battle against thee, thou shalt assault it.📜💬📚
13 And when our Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hand, thou shalt strike all that is therein of the male sex, in the edge of the sword,📜💬📚
14 excepting women and children, the cattle and other things, that are in the city. All the prey thou shalt divide to the army, and thou shalt eat of the spoils of thine enemies, which our Lord thy God shall give thee.📜💬📚
15 So shalt thou do to all cities, that be very far from thee, and be not of these cities, which thou shalt receive in possession.📜💬📚
16 But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live:📜💬📚
17 but shalt kill them in the edge of the sword, to wit, the Hetheite, & Amorrhite, & Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and Heveite, and Jebusite, as our Lord thy God hath commanded thee:📜💬📚
18 lest perhaps they teach you to do all the abominations, which themselves did work to their gods: & you sin against our Lord your God.📜💬📚
19 When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hast compassed it with munition to win it, thou shalt not cut down the trees, that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: because it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of warriors against thee.📜💬📚
20 But if there be any trees not fruitful, but wild, and apt for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.📜💬📚
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