Deuteronomy 20:11

⁹ When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.

¹⁰ When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.

If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.

¹² But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.

¹³ When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
KJV: 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.
WEB: It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you.
ASV: And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee.
DARBY: And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then all the people that are found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
BLB: And it shall come to pass that if they accept your offer of peace and open to you, then all the people found in it shall be unto you in tribute, and they will serve you.

ÅB: Og dersom den svarer deg fredelig og lukker opp for deg, da skal alt folket i byen være deg arbeidspliktig og tjene deg.
OTB: Hvis den går med på å slutte fred med deg og åpner sine porter, skal alle folkene som finnes der bli din tvangsarbeidskraft og tjene deg.
B1930: Og dersom den svarer dig fredelig og lukker op for dig, da skal alt folket i byen være dig arbeidspliktig og tjene dig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 11:19–20
No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.
Read in context
Joshua 9:27
On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.
Read in context
Joshua 9:22–23
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?
Read in context
Luke 19:14
But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’
Read in context
Leviticus 25:42–46
Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.
Read in context
1 Kings 9:21–22
their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction —Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.
Read in context
Judges 1:28
When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
Read in context
Judges 1:30–35
Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.
Read in context