Deuteronomy 20:20

New International Reader's Version

But you can cut down trees that you know aren’t fruit trees. You can build war machines out of their wood. You can use them until you capture the city you are fighting against.

Cross References

2 Kings 3:19

You will destroy every city that has high walls around it. You will destroy every major town. You will cut down every good tree. You will stop up all the springs of water. And you will cover every good field with stones.”

2 Chronicles 26:15

In Jerusalem he invented machines to be used on the towers and on the corners of city walls. These machines were used by men who shot arrows from the walls. The machines were also used by men to throw large stones from the walls. Uzziah became famous everywhere. God greatly helped him until he became powerful.

Ecclesiastes 9:14

There was once a small city. Only a few people lived there. A powerful king attacked it. He brought in war machines all around it.

Isaiah 37:33

“Here is a message from me about the king of Assyria. I say, “ ‘He will not enter this city. He will not even shoot an arrow at it. He will not come near it with a shield. He will not build a ramp in order to climb over its walls.

Jeremiah 33:4

The Lord is the God of Israel. He speaks about the houses in Jerusalem. He talks about the royal palaces of Judah. The people had torn down many of them. They had used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack.

Jeremiah 6:6

The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says, “Cut down some trees. Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem’s walls. I must punish that city. It is filled with people who treat others badly.

Ezekiel 17:17

So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help.

Deuteronomy 1:28

Where can we go? The men who checked out the land have made us afraid. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large. They have walls that reach up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’ ”

Deuteronomy 20:19

Suppose you surround a city and get ready to attack it. And suppose you fight against it for a long time in order to capture it. Then don’t chop down its trees and destroy them. You can eat their fruit. So don’t cut them down. Are the trees people? So why should you attack them?

Deuteronomy 21:1

Suppose you find someone who has been killed. The body is lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. But no one knows who the killer was.