When you draw near to a city to fight against it: verses 10-18 give instructions on laying siege to fortified towns, that is, towns that had walls around them. Verse 15 reveals that these instructions apply only to towns that are outside of Israel.

Offer terms of peace to it: before mounting a siege against a town, the Israelites are to lay down the conditions under which they will not attack it. So Good News Translation says “first give its people a chance to surrender,” and Bible en français courant “first propose to the inhabitants that they surrender without fighting.” Contemporary English Version puts verse 15 first, with “Before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace….” This is a good alternative solution.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .