Deuteronomy 20:18-20

Good News Translation

¹⁸ Kill them, so that they will not make you sin against the Lord by teaching you to do all the disgusting things that they do in the worship of their gods.

¹⁹ “When you are trying to capture a city, do not cut down its fruit trees, even though the siege lasts a long time. Eat the fruit, but do not destroy the trees; the trees are not your enemies. ²⁰ You may cut down the other trees and use them in the siege mounds until the city is captured.