Numbers 31

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

2 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.'

“Take vengeance on the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After doing that, you will die and be gathered to your people.”

3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: 'Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.

So Moses spoke to the people. He said, “Arm some of your men for war so they may go against Midian and carry out Yahweh's vengeance on it.

4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.'

Every tribe throughout Israel must send a thousand soldiers to war.”

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

So out of Israel's thousands of men, one thousand was provided from each tribe, twelve thousand men armed for war.

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

Then Moses sent them to battle, a thousand from every tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, and with some articles from the holy place and the trumpets in his possession for sounding signals.

7 And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

They fought against Midian, as Yahweh had commanded Moses. They killed every man.

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

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

9 And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.

The army of Israel took captive the women of Midian, their children, all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. They took these as plunder.

10 And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.

They burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps.

11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.

They took all the plunder and prisoners, both people and animals.

12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp, unto the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.

They brought the prisoners, the plunder, and the captured things to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the community of the people of Israel. They brought these to the camp in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan near Jericho.

13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

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

14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, 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 the captains of hundreds, who came from battle.

15 And Moses said unto them: 'Have ye saved all the women alive?

Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live?

16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.

Look, these women caused the people of Israel, through Balaam's advice, to commit sin against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, when the plague spread among Yahweh's community.

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

Now then, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has ever slept with a man.

18 But all the women children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

But take for yourselves all the young girls who have never slept with a man.

19 And encamp ye without the camp seven days; whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.

You must camp outside the camp of Israel for seven days. All of you who have killed anyone and or have touched any dead person—you must purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day—you and your prisoners.

20 And as to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood, ye shall purify.'

You must purify every garment and everything made of animal hide and goats' hair, and everything made of wood.”

21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle: 'This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded Moses:

Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to war, “This is a decreed law that Yahweh has given to Moses:

22 Howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead,

23 every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sprinkling; and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.

and everything that resists fire, you must put it through the fire, and it will become clean. You must then purify those things with the water of cleansing. Whatever cannot go through the fire you must cleanse with that water.

24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye may come into the camp.'

You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and then you will become clean. Afterward you may come into Israel's camp.”

25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

26 'Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation;

“Count all the plundered things that were taken, both people and animals. You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community's ancestor's clans

27 and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation;

must divide the plunder into two parts. Divide it between the soldiers who went out to battle and all the rest of the community.

28 and levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war that went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the flocks;

Then levy a tax to be given to me from the soldiers who went out to battle. This tax must be one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats.

29 take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, as a portion set apart for the LORD.

Take this tax from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest for an offering to be presented to me.

30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.'

Also from the people of Israel's half, you must take one out of every fifty—from the persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Give these to the Levites who take care of my tabernacle.”

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

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

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

Now the plunder that remained of what the soldiers had taken was 675,000 sheep,

33 and threescore and twelve thousand beeves,

seventy-two thousand oxen,

34 and threescore and one thousand asses,

sixty-one thousand donkeys,

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

and thirty-two thousand women who had never slept with any man.

36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep.

The half that was kept for the soldiers numbered 337,000 sheep.

37 And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.

Yahweh's part of the sheep was 675.

38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and twelve.

The oxen were thirty-six thousand which Yahweh's tax was seventy-two.

39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.

The donkeys were 30,500 from which Yahweh's part was sixty-one.

40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of whom the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

The persons were sixteen thousand women of whom Yahweh's tax was thirty-two.

41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was set apart for the LORD, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses took the tax that was to be an offering presented to Yahweh. He gave it to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred —

As for the people of Israel's half that Moses had taken from the soldiers who had gone to war—

43 now the congregation's half was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,

the community's half was 337,500 sheep,

44 and thirty and six thousand beeves,

thirty-six thousand oxen,

45 and thirty thousand and five hundred asses,

30,500 donkeys,

46 and sixteen thousand persons —

and sixteen thousand women.

47 even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, that kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

From the people of Israel's half, Moses took one out of every fifty, both of people and animals. He gave them to the Levites who kept care of Yahweh's tabernacle, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

48 And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;

Then the officers of the army, the commanders over thousands and the captains over hundreds, came to Moses.

49 and they said unto Moses: 'Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war that are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

They said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers who are under our command, and not one man is missing.

50 And we have brought the LORD'S offering, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet-rings, ear-rings, and girdles, to make atonement for our souls before the LORD.'

We have brought Yahweh's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before Yahweh.”

51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.

Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold and all the articles of craftsmanship.

52 And all the gold of the gift that they set apart for the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. —

All the gold of the offering that they gave to Yahweh—the offerings from the commanders of thousands and from the captains of hundreds—weighed 16,750 shekels.

53 For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. —

Each soldier had taken plunder, each man for himself.

54 And 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.

Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and captains of hundreds. They took it into the tent of meeting as a reminder of the people of Israel for Yahweh.