Deuteronomy 20:19-20

The Voice

¹⁹ When you’re fighting against a city, and it hasn’t fallen to you even after a long siege, don’t chop down all the trees around it. You can eat the fruit and nuts they produce, so don’t cut them down. Are these trees humans who are resisting your siege? Of course not! ²⁰ Only cut down the trees you know don’t produce any food. You can use them to build siege machines against the city you’re fighting with until it falls.