Numbers 31

1 And the LORD said to Moses,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

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

3 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

6 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.

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 shofars for the alarm in his hand.

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

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

8 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

12 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

16 “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.

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.

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

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

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

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

19 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.

“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.

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

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

21 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:

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.

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

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

23 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.

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 doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.

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

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

25 The LORD said to Moses,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

26 “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.

“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;

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

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

28 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.

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.

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

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

30 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.”

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.”

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

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

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

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

33 72,000 cattle,

seventy-two thousand head of cattle,

34 61,000 donkeys,

sixty-one thousand donkeys,

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

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

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

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

37 including a tribute to the LORD of 675,

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

38 36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,

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

39 30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

44 36,000 cattle,

thirty-six thousand head of cattle,

45 30,500 donkeys,

thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

46 and 16,000 people.

and sixteen thousand persons),

47 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

50 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.”

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.”

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

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

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

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.

53 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

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

54 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.

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.