{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/kjv/deuteronomy/20","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-30T09:19:06.580Z"},"reference":{"translation":"KJV","book":"Deuteronomy","bookSlug":"deuteronomy","chapter":20,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":19,"nextChapter":21,"totalChapters":34,"totalVerses":20},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, <i>and</i> a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God <i>is</i> with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,"},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"For the LORD your God <i>is</i> he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man <i>is there</i> 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."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"And what man <i>is he</i> that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not <i>yet</i> eaten of it? let him <i>also</i> go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"And what man <i>is there</i> that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man <i>is there that is</i> fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, <i>that</i> all the people <i>that is</i> found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:"},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:"},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, <i>even</i> all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities <i>which are</i> very far off from thee, which <i>are</i> not of the cities of these nations."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee <i>for</i> an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:"},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"But thou shalt utterly destroy them; <i>namely</i>, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:"},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God."},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field <i>is</i> man's <i>life</i>) to employ <i>them</i> in the siege:"},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"Only the trees which thou knowest that they <i>be</i> not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued."}],"citation":{"inline":"Deuteronomy 20 (KJV)","markdown":"[Deuteronomy 20](https://primebible.com/kjv/deuteronomy/20)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* KJV. https://primebible.com/kjv/deuteronomy/20 (accessed 2026-05-30)."}}