Moses spoke to the people, saying,
"When you go out to war against your enemies and you see horses, chariots, and a force larger than yours, do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt; He will be with you.
"When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He will say, 'Hear, O Israel: today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or lose courage before them. For the Lord your God goes with you to fight for you and to give you victory.'
"After the priest speaks, the officers shall tell the men, 'Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, so that he may dedicate it and not die in battle. Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go back, or he may die and another enjoy it. Has anyone pledged himself to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die and another marry her.' Then the officers shall add, 'Is any man fearful or fainthearted? Let him return home, lest his fear spread and discourage his brothers.'
"When the officers have finished speaking, they shall appoint commanders over the army and prepare to march.
"When you approach a city to fight against it, first offer terms of peace. If the city accepts and opens its gates to you, all the people inside shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. But if they refuse to make peace and engage you in battle, then lay siege to the city. When the Lord your God hands it over to you, put all the men to the sword. As for the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else in the city, you may take them as plunder, using the spoil that the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.
"This is the rule for all the cities that are far from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. However, in the cities of the nations that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you are not to leave alive anything that breathes. You must completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. Otherwise they will teach you to follow their detestable practices in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.
"When you besiege a city for a long time, do not destroy its trees by swinging an ax at them, for you may eat their fruit. Are the trees of the field people to be used against you in battle? You may, however, cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city falls."