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Deuteronomy 20:19

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20:19If you besiege a city for a long time while attempting to capture it,28 you must not chop down its trees,29 for you may eat fruit30 from them and should not cut them down. A tree in the field is not human that you should besiege it!31

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Footnotes

  1. 28 Heb “to fight against it to capture it.”
  2. 29 Heb “you must not destroy its trees by chopping them with an iron” (i.e., an ax).
  3. 30 Heb “you may eat from them.” The direct object is not expressed; the word “fruit” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  4. 31 Heb “to go before you in siege.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it in order to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can get food from them. Do not cut them down. Are trees of the field human, to come under siege by you?

NLTNew Living Translation

“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“If you besiege a town for many days to make war against it in order to seize it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, for you may eat from them, and so you must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field humans that they should come in siege against you?

KJV 1900King James Version

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: