Deuteronomy 20:19 
Context| NET © | If you besiege a city for a long time while attempting to capture it, 1 you must not chop down its trees, 2 for you may eat fruit 3 from them and should not cut them down. A tree in the field is not human that you should besiege it! 4 |
| NIV © | 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 axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them? |
| NASB © | "When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? |
| NLT © | "When you are besieging a town and the war drags on, do not destroy the trees. Eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. They are not enemies that need to be attacked! |
| MSG © | When you mount an attack on a town and the siege goes on a long time, don't start cutting down the trees, swinging your axes against them. Those trees are your future food; don't cut them down. Are trees soldiers who come against you with weapons? |
| BBE © | If in war a town is shut in by your armies for a long time, do not let its trees be cut down and made waste; for their fruit will be your food; are the trees of the countryside men for you to take up arms against them? |
| NRSV © | If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you? |
| NKJV © | "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 against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food . |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | "When <03588> you besiege <06696> a city <05892> a long <07227> time <03117> , to make <03898> war <03898> against <05921> it in order to capture <08610> it, you shall not destroy <07843> its trees <06086> by swinging <05080> an axe <01631> against <05921> them; for you may eat <0398> from them, and you shall not cut <03772> them down <03772> . For is the tree <06086> of the field <07704> a man <0120> , that it should be besieged by you?<04692> |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | If <03588> you besiege <06696> a city <05892> for a long <07227> time <03117> while attempting to <05921> capture <08610> it, you must not <03808> chop down <07843> its trees <06086> , for <03588> you may eat <0398> fruit from <04480> them <0853> and should not <03808> cut <03772> them down <03772> . A tree <06086> in the field <07704> is not human <0120> that <03588> you should besiege it!<04692> |
| NET © | If you besiege a city for a long time while attempting to capture it, 1 you must not chop down its trees, 2 for you may eat fruit 3 from them and should not cut them down. A tree in the field is not human that you should besiege it! 4 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “to fight against it to capture it.” 2 tn Heb “you must not destroy its trees by chopping them with an iron” (i.e., an ax). 3 tn Heb “you may eat from them.” The direct object is not expressed; the word “fruit” is supplied in the translation for clarity. 4 tn Heb “to go before you in siege.” |
