Liber Numeri 31
1 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 ulciscere prius filios Israhel de Madianitis et sic colligeris ad populum tuum
“Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 statimque Moses armate inquit ex vobis viros ad pugnam qui possint ultionem Domini expetere de Madianitis
Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.
4 mille viri de singulis tribubus eligantur Israhel qui mittantur ad bellum
You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”
5 dederuntque millenos de cunctis tribubus id est duodecim milia expeditorum ad pugnam
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 quos misit Moses cum Finees filio Eleazari sacerdotis vasa quoque sancta et tubas ad clangendum tradidit ei
Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7 cumque pugnassent contra Madianitas atque vicissent omnes mares occiderunt
They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 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
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9 ceperuntque mulieres eorum et parvulos omniaque pecora et cunctam supellectilem quicquid habere potuerant depopulati sunt
The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.
10 tam urbes quam viculos et castella flamma consumpsit
All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.
11 et tulerunt praedam et universa quae ceperant tam ex hominibus quam ex iumentis
They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.
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 with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 egressi sunt autem Moses et Eleazar sacerdos et omnes principes synagogae in occursum eorum extra castra
Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.
14 iratusque Moses principibus exercitus tribunis et centurionibus qui venerant de bello
Moses 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 ait cur feminas reservastis
Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
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
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
17 ergo cunctos interficite quicquid est generis masculini etiam in parvulis et mulieres quae noverunt viros in coitu iugulate
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
18 puellas autem et omnes feminas virgines reservate vobis
But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19 et manete extra castra septem diebus qui occiderit hominem vel occisum tetigerit lustrabitur die tertio et septimo
“Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you 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
You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”
21 Eleazar quoque sacerdos ad viros exercitus qui pugnaverant sic locutus est hoc est praeceptum legis quod mandavit Dominus Mosi
Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses.
22 aurum et argentum et aes et ferrum et stagnum et plumbum
However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 et omne quod potest transire per flammas igne purgabitur quicquid autem ignem non potest sustinere aqua expiationis sanctificabitur
everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.
24 et lavabitis vestimenta vestra die septimo et purificati postea castra intrabitis
You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”
25 dixitque Dominus ad Mosen
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
26 tollite summam eorum quae capta sunt ab homine usque ad pecus tu et Eleazar sacerdos et principes vulgi
“Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation;
27 dividesque ex aequo praedam inter eos qui pugnaverunt et egressi sunt ad bellum et inter omnem reliquam multitudinem
and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all 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
Levy a tribute to Yahweh 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 et dabis eam Eleazaro sacerdoti quia primitiae Domini sunt
Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.
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
Of the children of Israel’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, who perform the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle.”
31 feceruntque Moses et Eleazar sicut praeceperat Dominus
Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
32 fuit autem praeda quam exercitus ceperat ovium sescenta septuaginta quinque milia
Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
33 boum septuaginta duo milia
seventy-two thousand head of cattle,
34 asinorum sexaginta milia et mille
sixty-one thousand donkeys,
35 animae hominum sexus feminei quae non cognoverant viros triginta duo milia
and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.
36 dataque est media pars his qui in proelio fuerant ovium trecenta triginta septem milia quingenta
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 e quibus in partem Domini supputatae sunt oves sescentae septuaginta quinque
and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.
38 et de bubus triginta sex milibus boves septuaginta duo
The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.
39 de asinis triginta milibus quingentis asini sexaginta unus
The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.
40 de animabus hominum sedecim milibus cesserunt in partem Domini triginta duae animae
The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
41 tradiditque Moses numerum primitiarum Domini Eleazaro sacerdoti sicut ei fuerat imperatum
Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
42 ex media parte filiorum Israhel quam separaverat his qui in proelio fuerant
Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
43 de media vero parte quae contigerat reliquae multitudini id est de ovium trecentis triginta septem milibus quingentis
(now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
44 et de bubus triginta sex milibus
thirty-six thousand head of cattle,
45 et de asinis triginta milibus quingentis
thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
46 et de hominibus sedecim milibus
and sixteen thousand persons),
47 tulit Moses quinquagesimum caput et dedit Levitis qui excubant in tabernaculo Domini sicut praeceperat Dominus
even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
48 cumque accessissent principes exercitus ad Mosen et tribuni centurionesque dixerunt
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.
49 nos servi tui recensuimus numerum pugnatorum quos habuimus sub manu nostra et ne unus quidem defuit
They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.
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
We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”
51 susceperuntque Moses et Eleazar sacerdos omne aurum in diversis speciebus
Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.
52 pondo sedecim milia septingentos quinquaginta siclos a tribunis et centurionibus
All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.
53 unusquisque enim quod in praeda rapuerat suum erat
The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.
54 et susceptum intulerunt in tabernaculum testimonii in monumentum filiorum Israhel coram Domino
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 Yahweh.
