Numbers 31

1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

2 Reuenge the children of Israel of the Midianites, and afterwarde shalt thou be gathered vnto thy people.

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

3 And Moses spake to the people, saying, Harnesse some of you vnto warre, and let them goe against Midian, to execute the vengeance of the Lord against 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 A thousande of euery tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye sende to the warre.

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

5 So there were taken out of the thousands of Israel, twelue thousande prepared vnto warre, of euery tribe a thousand.

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

6 And Moses sent them to the warre, euen a thousand of euery tribe, and sent them with Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest to the warre: and the holy instruments, that is, the trumpets to blow were 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 And they warred against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and slue all the males.

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

8 They slue also the Kings of Midian among them that were slaine: Eui and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur and Reba fiue kings of Midian, and they slue Balaam the sonne of Beor with the sworde:

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 But the children of Israel tooke the women of Midian prisoners, and their children, and spoyled all their cattell, and all their flockes, and all their goods.

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

10 And they burnt all their cities, wherein they dwelt, and all their villages with fire.

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

11 And they tooke all the spoyle and all the pray both of men and beastes.

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

12 And they brought the captiues and that which they had taken, and the spoyle vnto Moses and to Eleazar the Priest, and vnto the Congregation of the children of Israel, into ye campe in the playne of Moab, which was by Iorden toward Iericho.

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 Then Moses and Eleazar the Priest, and all the princes of the Congregation went out of the campe to meete them.

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

14 And Moses was angry with the captaines of the hoste, with the captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer hundreds, which came from the warre and battel.

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 And Moses sayde vnto them, What? haue ye saued all the women?

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

16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord, as concerning Peor, and there came a plague 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, slay all the males among the children, and kill all the women that haue knowen man by carnall copulation.

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

18 But all the women children that haue not knowen carnall copulation, keepe aliue for your selues.

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

19 And ye shall remaine without the host seuen dayes, all that haue killed any person, and all that haue touched any dead, and purifie both your selues and your prisoners the third day and the seuenth.

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 Also ye shall purifie euery garment and all that is made of skins and al worke of goates heare, 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 And Eleazar ye Priest sayd vnto the men of warre, which went to the battel, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord 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 As for gold, and siluer, brasse, yron, tynne, and lead:

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

23 Euen all that may abide the fire, yee shall make it goe through the fire, and it shalbe cleane: yet, it shalbe purified with the water of purification: and all that suffereth not the fire, yee shall cause to passe by 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 Ye shall wash also your clothes the seuenth day, and ye shalbe cleane: and afterward ye shall come into the Hoste.

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

25 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

The LORD said to Moses,

26 Take the summe of the praie that was taken, both of persons and of cattell, thou and Eleazar the Priest, and the chiefe fathers 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 deuide the praye betweene the souldiers that went to the warre, and all the Congregation.

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

28 And thou shalt take a tribute vnto ye Lord of the men of warre, which went out to battel: one person of fiue hundreth, both of the persons, and of the beeues, and of the asses, and of the sheepe.

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 Yee shall take it of their halfe and giue it vnto Eleazar the Priest, as an heaue offring of the Lord.

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

30 But of the halfe of the children of Israel thou shalt take one, taken out of fiftie, both of the persons, of the beeues, of the asses, and of the sheepe, euen of all the cattel: and thou shalt giue them vnto the Leuites, which haue the charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord.

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 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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

32 And the bootie, to wit, the rest of the praie which the men of warre had spoyled, was sixe hundreth seuentie and fiue thousand sheepe,

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

33 And seuentie and two thousand beeues,

72,000 cattle,

34 And three score and one thousand asses,

61,000 donkeys,

35 And two and thirtie thousande persons in all, of women that had lyen by no man.

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

36 And the halfe, to wit, the part of them that went out to warre touching the nomber of sheepe, was three hundreth seuen and thirtie thousand, and fiue hundreth.

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

37 And the Lordes tribute of the sheepe was sixe hundreth and seuentie and fiue:

including a tribute to the LORD of 675,

38 And the beeues were six and thirty thousad, whereof the Lordes tribute was seuentie and two.

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

39 And the asses were thirtie thousande and fiue hundreth, whereof the Lordes tribute was three score and one:

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

40 And of persons sixtene thousand, whereof the Lordes tribute was two and thirtie persons.

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

41 And Moses gaue the tribute of the Lordes offring vnto Eleazar the Priest, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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

42 And of the halfe of the children of Israel, which Moses deuided from the men of warre,

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

43 (For the halfe that perteined vnto the Congregation, was three hundreth thirtie and seuen thousand sheepe and fiue hundreth,

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

44 And sixe and thirtie thousand beeues,

36,000 cattle,

45 And thirtie thousand asses, and fiue hudreth,

30,500 donkeys,

46 And sixteene thousande persons)

and 16,000 people.

47 Moses, I say, tooke of the halfe that perteined vnto the children of Israel, one taken out of fiftie, both of the persons, and of the cattell, and gaue them vnto the Leuites, which haue the charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord had 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 Then the captaines which were ouer thousandes of the hoste, the captaines ouer the thousandes, and the captaines ouer the hundreds came vnto Moses:

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

49 And saide to Moses, Thy seruants haue taken the summe of the men of warre which are vnder our authoritie, and there lacketh not one man of vs.

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

50 We haue therefore brought a present vnto the Lord, what euery man found of iewels of golde, bracelets, and cheines, rings, eare ringes, and ornaments of the legges, to make an atonement for our soules 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 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the golde of them, and all wrought iewels,

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

52 And all the golde of the offring that they offered vp to the Lord (of the captaines ouer thousands and hundreds) was sixteene thousande seuen hundreth and fiftie shekels,

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

53 (For the men of warre had spoyled, euery man for him selfe)

Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

54 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the golde of the captaines ouer the thousandes, and ouer the hundreds, and brought it into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, for a memoriall of 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.