DEUTERONOMY 20
Rules of Warfare
1 (Dt 31:6; 31:8) When you go out to battle against your enemies,
and see horses, and chariots, and a people that outnumber you,
do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
2 (Nu 10:8-9; 31:6) It will be, when you approach the battle,
that the priest will approach and speak to the people,
3 and he shall say to them, "Hear, O Israel, you approach today
to do battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted.
Do not fear, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them.
4 (Dt 1:30; 3:22) For the Lord your God is He that goes with you,
to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."
5 (Ne 12:27) The officers will speak to the people, saying,
"What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it?
Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, a
nd another man dedicate it.
6 (Lev 19:23-25) What man is there who has planted a vineyard,
and has not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return to his house,
lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
7 (Dt 24:5; 28:30) What man is there who is engaged to a woman
but has not married her? Let him go and return to his house,
lest he die in the battle, and another man take her."
8 (Jdg 7:3; Dt 1:28) The officers are to speak further to the people,
and they shall say, "What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted?
Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart faint
as well as his heart."
9 It will be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people,
that they must make captains of the armies to lead the people.
10 When you come near to a city to fight against it,
then proclaim peace to it.
11 It shall be, if it gives you a reply of peace and opens to you,
then it must be that all the people that are found within shall
become slaves to you and they shall serve you.
12 If it will not make peace with you but makes war against you,
then you are to besiege it.
13 And when the Lord your God has delivered it into your hands,
you are to slay every male there with the edge of the sword.
14 (Jos 8:2; 22:8) But the women, and the little ones, and the livestock,
and all that is in the city, all the spoil within, you are to take
to yourself, and you will eat the spoil of your enemies,
which the Lord your God has given you.
15 Thus you are to do to all the cities which are far away,
which are not the cities of these nearby nations.
16 (Jos 11:14; Nu 21:2-3) But of the cities of these people,
which the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance,
you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
17 But you shall completely destroy them: namely,
the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as the Lord your God
has commanded you,
18 (Ex 23:33; Dt 12:30-31) so that they do not teach you to participate
in all their abominations, which they have done to their gods,
causing you to sin against the Lord your God.
19 When you lay siege to a city for a long time, in making war against
it in order to take it, you shall not destroy the trees there by chopping
them down with an axe, for you may eat from them, and you shall not
cut them down. For the tree of the field is not a man in which to lay siege.
20 However, you may destroy and cut down only the trees which you know
are not fruit trees, so that you may build siege engines against the city
that makes war with you until it falls.
Deuteronomy 20
[1] When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses,
and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the
LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
[2] And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest
shall approach and speak unto the people,
[3] 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;
[4] For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you
against your enemies, to save you.
[5] And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there
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.
[6] And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten
of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle,
and another man eat of it.
[7] And what man is there 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.
[8] And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall
say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and
return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.
[9] 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.
[10] When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim
peace unto it.
[11] And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee,
then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be
tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
[12] And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee,
then thou shalt besiege it:
[13] And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou
shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
[14] But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in
the city, even 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.
[15] Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from
thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
[16] But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give
thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
[17] But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the
Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the
Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
[18] 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.
[19] 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 is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
[20] Only the trees which thou knowest that they be 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.
2) Our Daily Bread for 16 March 2026 titled
Lives Offered to God by Karen Pimpo
Exodus 35:20-29
20 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel
departed from the presence of Moses.
21 (Ex 25:2; 35:5) Everyone whose heart stirred him
and everyone whose spirit was willing came
and brought the Lord's offering for the work of the tent of meeting
and for all its service and for the holy garments.
22 They came, both men and women, as many as had willing hearts,
and brought brooches, earrings, rings and bracelets,
all kinds of gold jewelry, and everyone that offered
an offering of gold to the Lord.
23 (1Ch 29:8) Everyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet,
and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams,
and porpoise skins, brought them.
24 Everyone who was making a contribution of silver and bronze
brought the Lord's offering, and everyone who had acacia wood
for any work of the service brought it.
25 (Ex 28:3) All the women that were skilled spun with their hands
and brought what they had spun, both of blue, purple, and scarlet,
and of fine linen.
26 (Ex 35:21) All the women whose hearts stirred them to action
and were skilled spun goats' hair.
27 (1Ch 29:6; Ezr 2:68) The leaders brought onyx stones
and gemstones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate,
28 (Ex 30:23-38) and spice and oil for the light,
and for the anointing oil,
and for the fragrant incense.
29 (Ex 35:4) The children of Israel brought
a willing offering to the Lord,
every man and woman whose heart was willing
to bring material for all the work
[20] And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the
presence of Moses.
[21] And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom
his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD's offering to the work of
the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the
holy garments.
[22] And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and
brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold:
and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.
[23] And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins,
brought them.
[24] Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the
LORD's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any
work of the service, brought it.
[25] And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and
brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of
scarlet, and of fine linen.
[26] And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats'
hair.
[27] And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the
ephod, and for the breastplate;
[28] And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for
the sweet incense.
[29] The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every
man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of
work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
"I am thankful to God for His goodness," reads the plaque, "in permitting me
to have a part in building this broad thoroughfare as a frame to the
beautiful picture which He created." The inscription is attributed to highway
engineer Samuel Christopher Lancaster in 1915. It stands at a beautiful scenic
overlook on the highway he designed, a road that takes drivers along the
breathtaking Columbia River Gorge, with forests, waterfalls, and rocky cliffs.
It's tempting to take credit for our resources and accomplishments or use them
to bring ourselves praise. What would it look like, instead, to think of them
as a lowly "frame" around God's masterpiece? One example is when Moses invited
the Israelites to bring gifts to build the tabernacle (Exodus 35:5).
"Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them" contributed what they
had: precious metal and stone, linen, leather, wood, spices,
and oil (vv. 21-28). These costly goods were offered from willing hearts to
fulfill what God had commanded (v. 29). Some master craftsmen were especially
gifted. But everyone could contribute something, like the women who
skillfully spun goat hair (v. 26).
What mattered most then, and today, is the posture of the giver's heart.
"From what you have, take an offering for the Lord" (v. 5). That's
when our resources are put to their best use.
Reflect & Pray
What resources are at your disposal?
How could they be used to bring praise to God?
Dear God, I can get caught up in seeking my own
praise. Please help my life bring You glory!