Deuteronomy 20
How to read this: this is a word-for-word rendering straight from the original Hebrew, not a copyrighted translation — the top of each chip is the original word, the bottom is its plain-English sense. Faded chips mark words the Hebrew implies but wouldn't literally be spoken in English. Click any word for its full Strong's dictionary entry.
1
כִּֽי־ifתֵצֵ֨אyou will go outלַמִּלְחָמָ֜הto the warעַל־onאֹיְבֶ֗יךָenemies yourוְֽרָאִ֜יתָand you will seeס֤וּסhorseוָרֶ֙כֶב֙and chariotעַ֚םa peopleרַ֣בgreatמִמְּךָ֔more than youלֹ֥אnotתִירָ֖אyou must be afraidמֵהֶ֑םfrom the themכִּֽי־forיְהוָ֤הYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God yourעִמָּ֔ךְis with youהַמַּֽעַלְךָ֖who brought up youמֵאֶ֥רֶץfrom the land ofמִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
2
3
וְאָמַ֤רand he will sayאֲלֵהֶם֙to themשְׁמַ֣עhearיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לO Israelאַתֶּ֨םyouקְרֵבִ֥יםare approachingהַיּ֛וֹםthis dayלַמִּלְחָמָ֖הto the battleעַל־onאֹיְבֵיכֶ֑םenemies yourאַל־may notיֵרַ֣ךְbe timidלְבַבְכֶ֗םheart yourאַל־may notתִּֽירְא֧וּyou be afraidוְאַֽל־and may notתַּחְפְּז֛וּyou make hasteוְאַל־and may notתַּֽעַרְצ֖וּyou be terrifiedמִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃of before them
4
5
וְדִבְּר֣וּand they will sayהַשֹּֽׁטְרִים֮the officialsאֶל־toהָעָ֣םthe peopleלֵאמֹר֒to sayingמִֽי־who?הָאִ֞ישׁis the manאֲשֶׁ֨רwhoבָּנָ֤הhe has builtבַֽיִת־a houseחָדָשׁ֙newוְלֹ֣אand notחֲנָכ֔וֹhe has dedicated itיֵלֵ֖ךְlet him goוְיָשֹׁ֣בand let him returnלְבֵית֑וֹto house hisפֶּן־lestיָמוּת֙he should dieבַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הin the battleוְאִ֥ישׁand a manאַחֵ֖רanotherיַחְנְכֶֽנּוּ׃he will dedicate it
6
וּמִֽי־and who?הָאִ֞ישׁis the manאֲשֶׁר־whoנָטַ֥עhe has plantedכֶּ֙רֶם֙a vineyardוְלֹ֣אand notחִלְּל֔וֹhe has put to use itיֵלֵ֖ךְlet him goוְיָשֹׁ֣בand let him returnלְבֵית֑וֹto house hisפֶּן־lestיָמוּת֙he should dieבַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הin the battleוְאִ֥ישׁand a manאַחֵ֖רanotherיְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ׃he will put to use it
7
8
וְיָסְפ֣וּand they will repeatהַשֹּׁטְרִים֮the officialsלְדַבֵּ֣רto speakאֶל־toהָעָם֒the peopleוְאָמְר֗וּand they will sayמִי־who?הָאִ֤ישׁis the manהַיָּרֵא֙the fearfulוְרַ֣ךְand the weak ofהַלֵּבָ֔בthe heartיֵלֵ֖ךְlet him goוְיָשֹׁ֣בand let him returnלְבֵית֑וֹto house hisוְלֹ֥אand notיִמַּ֛סit will be meltedאֶת־obj.לְבַ֥בthe heart ofאֶחָ֖יוcountrymen hisכִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃like heart his
9
10
11
12
13
14
רַ֣קonlyהַ֠נָּשִׁיםthe womenוְהַטַּ֨ףand the little onesוְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הand the livestockוְכֹל֩and allאֲשֶׁ֨רthatיִהְיֶ֥הit will beבָעִ֛ירin the cityכָּל־allשְׁלָלָ֖הּbooty itsתָּבֹ֣זyou will plunderלָ֑ךְfor the yourselfוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙and you will consumeאֶת־obj.שְׁלַ֣לthe booty ofאֹיְבֶ֔יךָenemies yourאֲשֶׁ֥רwhichנָתַ֛ןhe has givenיְהוָ֥הYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod yourלָֽךְ׃to the you
15
16
17
כִּֽי־forהַחֲרֵ֣םcertainly to totally destroyתַּחֲרִימֵ֗םyou will totally destroy themהַחִתִּ֤יthe Hittitesוְהָאֱמֹרִי֙and the Amoritesהַכְּנַעֲנִ֣יthe Canaanitesוְהַפְּרִזִּ֔יand the Perizzitesהַחִוִּ֖יthe Hivitesוְהַיְבוּסִ֑יand the Jebusitesכַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust asצִוְּךָ֖he commanded youיְהוָ֥הYahwehאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃God your
18
19
כִּֽי־ifתָצ֣וּרyou will lay siegeאֶל־toעִיר֩a cityיָמִ֨יםdaysרַבִּ֜יםmanyלְֽהִלָּחֵ֧םto fightעָלֶ֣יהָon itלְתָפְשָׂ֗הּto capture itלֹֽא־notתַשְׁחִ֤יתyou will destroyאֶת־obj.עֵצָהּ֙trees itsלִנְדֹּ֤חַby wieldingעָלָיו֙on itגַּרְזֶ֔ןan axeכִּ֚יforמִמֶּ֣נּוּfrom itתֹאכֵ֔לyou will eatוְאֹת֖וֹand obj. itלֹ֣אnotתִכְרֹ֑תyou will cut downכִּ֤יforהָֽאָדָם֙¿ humanעֵ֣ץis the tree ofהַשָּׂדֶ֔הthe fieldלָבֹ֥אto goמִפָּנֶ֖יךָfrom before youבַּמָּצֽוֹר׃in the state of siege
20
רַ֞קonlyעֵ֣ץa treeאֲשֶׁר־whichתֵּדַ֗עyou will knowכִּֽי־thatלֹא־is notעֵ֤ץa tree ofמַאֲכָל֙foodה֔וּאitאֹת֥וֹobj. itתַשְׁחִ֖יתyou will destroyוְכָרָ֑תָּand you will cut downוּבָנִ֣יתָand you will buildמָצ֗וֹרsiege worksעַל־onהָעִיר֙the cityאֲשֶׁר־whichהִ֨ואitעֹשָׂ֧הis makingעִמְּךָ֛with youמִלְחָמָ֖הwarעַ֥דuntilרִדְתָּֽהּ׃ פfalls it
Frequently asked questions
Is this a Bible translation?
No — it's a word-for-word rendering of the original Hebrew text, tagged with Strong's numbers, so you can see exactly which original word underlies each part of the verse. For a devotional reading, see our Bible verses by topic section, which uses the King James Version.
What do the faded (italic) words mean?
They're words the Hebrew implies grammatically but that wouldn't be spoken as a separate word in natural English — shown here so nothing from the original text is hidden.
How do I look up what a word means?
Click any word — it links straight to that word's entry in our Strong's Concordance, with the full definition and how it's used elsewhere in the Bible.
Need a different tool?
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Think we tagged a word wrong?