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MARCH 29
with you, to fight for you against your enemies, eat the enemies’ plunder which the LORD your
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to save you.’ God gives you. Thus you shall do to all the
5 “Then the officers shall speak to the peo- cities which are very far from you, which are
ple, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a not of the cities of these nations.
new house and has not dedicated it? Let him 16 “But of the cities of these peoples which
go and return to his house, lest he die in the the LORD your God gives you as an inheri-
battle and another man dedicate it. Also what tance, you shall let nothing that breathes
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man is there who has planted a vineyard and remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy
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has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the
his house, lest he die in the battle and another Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and
man eat of it. And what man is there who is be- the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has
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trothed to a woman and has not married her? commanded you, lest they teach you to do
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Let him go and return to his house, lest he die according to all their abominations which they
in the battle and another man marry her.’ have done for their gods, and you sin against
the LORD your God.
19 “When you besiege a city for a long time,
while making war against it to take it, you
shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax
20:1 do not be afraid. When Israelites went against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut
into battle,they were never to fear an enemy’s them down to use in the siege, for the tree of
horses or chariots because the outcome of a the field is man’s food. Only the trees which
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battle would never be determined by mere
military strength. The command not to be you know are not trees for food you may
afraid was based on God’s power and faithful- destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks
ness, which had already been proved to Israel against the city that makes war with you, until
in their deliverance from Egypt. it is subdued.
Psalm 38:1–8
20:5–8 Let him go and return to his house.
Four exemptions from service in Israel’s volun- A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
teer army were cited to illustrate the principle LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
that anyone whose heart was not in the fight O Nor chasten me in Your hot
should not be there.Those who had other mat- displeasure!
ters on their minds or were afraid were allowed 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
to leave the army and return to their homes, And Your hand presses me down.
since they would be useless in battle and even
influence others to lose courage (v.8). 3 There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
8 “The officers shall speak further to the peo- Because of my sin.
ple, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful 4 For my iniquities have gone over my
and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his head;
house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like Like a heavy burden they are too heavy
his heart.’ And so it shall be, when the offi- for me.
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cers have finished speaking to the people, that 5 My wounds are foul and festering
they shall make captains of the armies to lead Because of my foolishness.
the people. 6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
10 “When you go near a city to fight against it,
then proclaim an offer of peace to it. And it 7 I go mourning all the day long.
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For my loins are full of inflammation,
shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, And there is no soundness in my flesh.
and open to you, then all the people who are 8 I am feeble and severely broken;
found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, I groan because of the turmoil of my
and serve you. Now if the city will not make heart.
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peace with you, but war against you, then you
shall besiege it. And when the LORD your Proverbs 12:23–25
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God delivers it into your hands, you shall 23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
strike every male in it with the edge of the But the heart of fools proclaims
sword. But the women, the little ones, the foolishness.
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livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil,
you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
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