Numbers 31

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian.

So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them.

4 You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”

Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.

6 Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

7 They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses. They killed every male.

Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

9 The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.

The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.

10 All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.

Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,

11 They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.

and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.

12 They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.

They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

13 Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.

And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.

14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.

But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.

15 Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?

“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.

16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.

“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.

17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.

So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,

18 But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.

19 “Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.

All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives.

20 You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”

And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”

21 Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses.

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:

22 However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—

23 everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that does not withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.

everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water.

24 You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”

On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

25 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

The LORD said to Moses,

26 “Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation;

“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast.

27 and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.

28 Levy a tribute to the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks.

Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep.

29 Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for the LORD’s wave offering.

Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.

30 Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of the LORD’s tabernacle.”

From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”

31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses,

32 Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,

and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,

33 seventy-two thousand head of cattle,

72,000 cattle,

34 sixty-one thousand donkeys,

61,000 donkeys,

35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.

and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.

36 The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep,

37 and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.

including a tribute to the LORD of 675,

38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two.

36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,

39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one.

30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,

40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.

41 Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

42 Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought

From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,

43 (now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,

44 thirty-six thousand head of cattle,

36,000 cattle,

45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

30,500 donkeys,

46 and sixteen thousand persons),

and 16,000 people.

47 even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of the LORD’s tabernacle, as the LORD commanded Moses.

From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.

48 The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses

49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.

and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.

50 We have brought the LORD’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before the LORD.”

So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.

So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.

52 All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.

All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.

53 The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.

Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.