The Skeptics Annotated Bible (187 page)

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

10
When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it
, then proclaim peace unto it.

11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that
all the people that is found therein
shall be tributaries unto thee, and they
shall serve thee.

(20.10-11)
“When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it … all the people that is found therein … shall serve thee.”
Enslave those that you conquer in war.
42 Does God approve of slavery?

12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

(20.13-14) In the cities that god “delivers” to you, kill all the males (including old men, boys, and babies) with “the edge of the sword…. But the women, and the little ones … shalt thou take unto yourself.”

13 And
when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

(20.13)
“When the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:”

14
But the women, and the little ones,
and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof,
shalt thou take unto thyself
; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

(20.14)
“But the women, and the little ones … shalt thou take unto thyself.”

15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

(20.16-17) Kill the old men and women, the sick and the dying, the blind and the lame, pregnant mothers, nursing mothers, infants, toddlers, and babies.

16
But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

(20.16)
“But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:”

17
But thou shalt utterly destroy them
; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

(20.17)
“But thou shalt utterly destroy them … as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.”

18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

19
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:

(20.19)
Kill the people, but spare the trees “When thou shalt besiege a city … thou shalt not destroy the trees.”
151 Were the Israelites to spare the trees in the countries they invaded?

20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

(21.1-8)
What to do with a dead body
If you find a dead body and don’t know the cause of death, then get all the elders together, cut off the head of a heifer, wash your hands over its body, and say “our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.” (That’ll do it!)