A land of grain and vines and fig-trees and fair fruits; a land of oil-giving olive-trees and honey;

If in war a town is shut in by your armies for a long time, do not let its trees be cut down and made waste; for their fruit will be your food; are the trees of the countryside men for you to take up arms against them?

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

Your land will be full of olive-trees, but there will be no oil for the comfort of your body; for your olive-tree will give no fruit.