KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If the city responds peacefully and opens its gates to you, then all the people living there will become your subjects and serve you.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes what should happen when a city surrenders peacefully during warfare - the people become servants rather than being destroyed.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of Moses' instructions to the Israelites about conducting warfare as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. These rules distinguished between how to treat distant cities versus those in Canaan itself. The concept of tribute and servitude was a common ancient Near Eastern practice where conquered peoples would serve the victors rather than face total destruction.
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