Liber Numeri 31
1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
And the LORD said to Moses,
2 Ulciscere prius filios Israel de Madianitis, et sic colligeris ad populum tuum.
“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 Statimque Moyses, Armate, inquit, ex vobis viros ad pugnam, qui possint ultionem Domini expetere de Madianitis.
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 mille viri de singulis tribubus eligantur ex Israel qui mittantur ad bellum.
Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”
5 Dederuntque millenos de singulis tribubus, id est, duodecim millia expeditorum ad pugnam:
So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.
6 quos misit Moyses cum Phinees filio Eleazari sacerdotis, vasaque sancta, et tubas ad clangendum tradidit ei.
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 Cumque pugnassent contra Madianitas atque vicissent, omnes mares occiderunt,
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
8 et reges eorum Evi, et Recem, et Sur, et Hur, et Rebe, quinque principes gentis: Balaam quoque filium Beor interfecerunt gladio.
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 Ceperuntque mulieres eorum, et parvulos, omniaque pecora, et cunctam supellectilem: quidquid habere potuerant depopulati sunt:
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.
10 tam urbes quam viculos et castella flamma consumpsit.
Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,
11 Et tulerunt praedam, et universa quae ceperant tam ex hominibus quam ex iumentis,
and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.
12 et adduxerunt ad Moysen, et Eleazarum sacerdotem, et ad omnem multitudinem filiorum Israel. reliqua autem utensilia portaverunt ad castra in campestribus Moab iuxta Iordanem contra 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 Egressi sunt autem Moyses, et Eleazar sacerdos, et omnes principes synagogae in occursum eorum extra castra.
And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
14 Iratusque Moyses principibus exercitus, tribunis, et centurionibus qui venerant de bello,
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 ait: Cur feminas reservastis?
“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
16 Nonne istae sunt, quae deceperunt filios Israel ad suggestionem Balaam, et praevaricari vos fecerunt in Dominum super peccato Phogor, unde et percussus est populus?
“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 Ergo cunctos interficite quidquid est generis masculinis, etiam in parvulis: et mulieres, quae noverunt viros in coitu, iugulate:
So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,
18 puellas autem et omnes feminas virgines reservate vobis:
but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.
19 et manete extra castra septem diebus. Qui occiderit hominem, vel occisum tetigerit, lustrabitur die tertio et septimo.
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 Et de omni praeda, sive vestimentum fuerit, sive vas, et aliquid in utensilia praeparatum, de caprarum pellibus, et pilis, et ligno expiabitur.
And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”
21 Eleazar quoque sacerdos ad viros exercitus, qui pugnaverunt, sic locutus est: Hoc est praeceptum legis, quod mandavit Dominus Moysi:
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 Aurum, et argentum, et aes, et ferrum, et plumbum, et stannum,
Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—
23 et omne, quod potest transire per flammas, igne purgabitur. quidquid autem ignem non potest sustinere, aqua expiationis sanctificabitur:
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 et lavabitis vestimenta vestra die septimo, et purificati postea castra intrabitis.
On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”
25 Dixit quoque Dominus ad Moysen:
The LORD said to Moses,
26 Tollite summam eorum, quae capta sunt ab homine usque ad pecus, tu et Eleazar sacerdos et principes vulgi:
“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 dividesque ex aequo praedam inter eos, qui pugnaverunt egressique sunt ad bellum, et inter omnem reliquam multitudinem.
Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
28 et separabis partem Domino ab his, qui pugnaverunt et fuerunt in bello, unam animam de quingentis tam ex hominibus quam ex bobus et asinis et ovibus,
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 et dabis eam Eleazaro sacerdoti, quia primitiae Domini sunt.
Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.
30 Ex media quoque parte filiorum Israel accipies quinquagesimum caput hominum, et boum, et asinorum, et ovium, cunctorum animantium, et dabis ea Levitis, qui excubant in custodiis tabernaculi Domini.
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 Feceruntque Moyses, et Eleazar, sicut praeceperat Dominus.
So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses,
32 Fuit autem praeda, quam exercitus ceperat, ovium sexcenta septuaginta quinque millia,
and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,
33 boum septuaginta duo millia,
72,000 cattle,
34 asinorum sexaginta millia et mille:
61,000 donkeys,
35 animae hominum sexus feminei, quae non cognoverant viros, triginta duo millia.
and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
36 Dataque est media pars his, qui in praelio fuerant, ovium trecenta triginta septem millia quingentae:
This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep,
37 e quibus in partem Domini supputatae sunt oves sexcentae septuaginta quinque.
including a tribute to the LORD of 675,
38 Et de bobus triginta sex millibus, boves septuaginta et duo:
36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
39 de asinis triginta millibus quingentis, asini sexaginta unus:
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
40 de animabus hominum sedecim millibus, cesserunt in partem Domini triginta duae animae.
and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
41 Tradiditque Moyses numerum primitiarum Domini Eleazaro sacerdoti, sicut fuerat ei imperatum,
Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
42 ex media parte filiorum Israel, quam separaverat his, qui in praelio fuerant.
From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,
43 De media vero parte, quae contigerat reliquae multitudini, id est, de ovibus trecentis triginta septem millibus quingentis,
this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,
44 et de bobus triginta sex millibus,
36,000 cattle,
45 et de asinis triginta millibus quingentis,
30,500 donkeys,
46 et de hominibus sedecim millibus,
and 16,000 people.
47 tulit Moyses quinquagesimum caput, et dedit Levitis, qui excubabant in tabernaculo Domini, sicut praeceperat Dominus.
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 Cumque accessissent principes exercitus ad Moysen, et tribuni, centurionesque dixerunt:
Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses
49 Nos servi tui recensuimus numerum pugnatorum, quos habuimus sub manu nostra: et ne unus quidem defuit.
and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.
50 Ob hanc causam offerimus in donariis Domini singuli quod in praeda auri potuimus invenire, periscelides et armillas, annulos et dextralia, ac muraenulas, ut depreceris pro nobis Dominum.
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 Susceperuntque Moyses, et Eleazar sacerdos omne aurum in diversis speciebus,
So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.
52 pondo sedecim millia, septingentos quinquaginta siclos a tribunis et centurionibus.
All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.
53 Unusquisque enim quod in praeda rapuerat, suum erat.
Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.
54 Et susceptum intulerunt in tabernaculum testimonii, in monimentum filiorum Israel coram Domino.
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.
