Numbers 31

1 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

2 “Avenge the children of Israel [God prevails] for the Midianites [Descendants of Strife]. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

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

4 Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel [God prevails], you shall send to the war.”

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

6 Moses [Drawn out] sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Pinchas [Bronze skin] the son of Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, to the war, with the utensils of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

7 They fought against Midian [Strife], as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out]. They killed every male.

8 They killed the kings of Midian [Strife] with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian [Strife]. They also killed Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] the son of Beor with the sword.

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

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

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

12 They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses [Drawn out], and to Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel [God prevails], to the camp at the plains of Moab [From father], which are by the Jordan [Descender] at Jericho [Fragrant, Moon].

13 Moses [Drawn out], and Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.

14 Moses [Drawn out] 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 Moses [Drawn out] said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?

16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel [God prevails], through the counsel of Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], to commit an unfaithful act against Adonai in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Adonai.

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

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

19 “Encamp outside of the camp seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, cleanse sin ·err (the standard goal)· from yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.

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

21 Eleazar [Help of God] the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the Torah ·Teaching· which Adonai has enjoined Moses [Drawn out]:

22 however the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the 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 cleansed from sin ·err (the standard goal)· with the water for impurity. All that does not withstand the fire you shall make to go 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.”

25 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

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

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

28 Levy a tribute to Adonai 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 [Help of God] the priest, for Adonai’s wave offering.

30 Of the children of Israel [God prevails]’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 [Descendants of United with], who perform the duty of Adonai’s tabernacle.”

31 Moses [Drawn out] and Eleazar [Help of God] the priest did as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out].

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

33 and seventy-two thousand head of cattle,

34 and sixty-one thousand donkeys,

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

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:

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

38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Adonai’s tribute was seventy-two.

39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Adonai’s tribute was sixty-one.

40 The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Adonai’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

41 Moses [Drawn out] gave the tribute, which was Adonai’s wave offering, to Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out].

42 Of the children of Israel [God prevails]’s half, which Moses [Drawn out] divided off from the men who fought

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

44 and thirty-six thousand head of cattle,

45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

46 and sixteen thousand persons),

47 even of the children of Israel [God prevails]’s half, Moses [Drawn out] took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites [Descendants of United with], who performed the duty of Adonai’s tabernacle; as Adonai enjoined Moses [Drawn out].

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

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

50 We have brought Adonai’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Adonai.”

51 Moses [Drawn out] and Eleazar [Help of God] the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.

52 All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Adonai, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels [418.75 lb; 189.95 kg].

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

54 Moses [Drawn out] and Eleazar [Help of God] 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 [God prevails] before Adonai.