Liber Numeri 31
1 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
And the LORD said to Moses,
2 ulciscere prius filios Israhel 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 Moses 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 Israhel qui mittantur ad bellum
Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”
5 dederuntque millenos de cunctis tribubus id est duodecim milia expeditorum ad pugnam
So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.
6 quos misit Moses cum Finees filio Eleazari sacerdotis vasa quoque 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 Ur 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 quicquid 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 Mosen et Eleazarum sacerdotem et ad omnem multitudinem filiorum Israhel reliqua etiam utensilia portaverunt ad castra in campestribus Moab iuxta Iordanem contra Hiericho
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 Moses 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 Moses 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 Israhel ad suggestionem Balaam et praevaricari vos fecerunt in Domino 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 quicquid est generis masculini 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 pugnaverant sic locutus est hoc est praeceptum legis quod mandavit Dominus Mosi
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 stagnum et plumbum
Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—
23 et omne quod potest transire per flammas igne purgabitur quicquid 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 dixitque Dominus ad Mosen
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 et egressi 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 bubus 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 Israhel accipies quinquagesimum caput hominum et boum et asinorum et ovium cunctarumque 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 Moses 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 sescenta septuaginta quinque milia
and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,
33 boum septuaginta duo milia
72,000 cattle,
34 asinorum sexaginta milia et mille
61,000 donkeys,
35 animae hominum sexus feminei quae non cognoverant viros triginta duo milia
and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
36 dataque est media pars his qui in proelio fuerant ovium trecenta triginta septem milia quingenta
This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep,
37 e quibus in partem Domini supputatae sunt oves sescentae septuaginta quinque
including a tribute to the LORD of 675,
38 et de bubus triginta sex milibus boves septuaginta duo
36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
39 de asinis triginta milibus quingentis asini sexaginta unus
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
40 de animabus hominum sedecim milibus cesserunt in partem Domini triginta duae animae
and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
41 tradiditque Moses numerum primitiarum Domini Eleazaro sacerdoti sicut ei fuerat 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 Israhel quam separaverat his qui in proelio 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 ovium trecentis triginta septem milibus quingentis
this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,
44 et de bubus triginta sex milibus
36,000 cattle,
45 et de asinis triginta milibus quingentis
30,500 donkeys,
46 et de hominibus sedecim milibus
and 16,000 people.
47 tulit Moses quinquagesimum caput et dedit Levitis qui excubant 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 Mosen 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 anulos et dextralia ac murenulas 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 Moses 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 milia 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 monumentum filiorum Israhel 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.
