4 Mose 31
1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se,
Yahweh spoke to Moses/me and said,
2 “Esiane sɛ Midianfo daadaa mo de mo kɔɔ abosonsom mu no nti, tɔ so were ma Israelfo no. Eyi akyi no wubewu na woakɔ wʼagyanom nkyɛn.”
“Before you die, [tell the] Israeli people that they should (pay back/get revenge on) the Midian people-group for what they did to you.”
3 Mose ka kyerɛɛ nkurɔfo so se, “Munyi mo mmarima no mu bi na wɔnkɔ Awurade aweretɔ sa a ɔde tia Midianfo no.
So Moses/I said to the people, “Get some men prepared for battle. Yahweh will enable them to (pay back/get revenge on) the Midian people-group [for what they did to us].
4 Momfa Israel abusua biara mu nnipa apem nkɔ ɔsa no.”
Select 1,000 men from each tribe to fight.”
5 Wɔyɛɛ saa nyaa mmarima mpem dumien siesie wɔn maa ɔko no; Israel abusuakuw biara maa mmarima apem.
So 12,000 men prepared for fighting in the battle, 1,000 from each tribe.
6 Afei Mose ma wɔkɔe, nnipa apem baako a wofi abusuakuw biara mu. Ɔsɔfo Eleasar babarima Pinehas na odii wɔn anim kɔɔ ɔko no. Wɔrekɔ no, wɔde akronkronne a ɛwɔ kronkronbea hɔ ne ntorobɛnto a wɔbɛhyɛn de ama asraafo no nsɛnkyerɛnne kɔe.
When Moses/I sent them to the battle, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, went with them. He took with him some of the things from the Sacred Tent and the trumpets that would be blown to give the signal [to start the battle].
7 Wɔne Midiafo no koe, na sɛnea Awurade hyɛɛ Mose no wokum Midian mmarima no nyinaa.
The Israeli men fought the soldiers from the Midian people-group, as Yahweh had told Moses/me to tell them to do, and they killed every man from the Midian people-group.
8 Wɔn a wokum wɔn no bi ne Midian ahemfo baanum a wɔn din de Ewi, Rekem, Sur, Hur ne Reba. Beor babarima Balaam nso, wɔde afoa kum no.
Among those whom they killed were the five kings of the Midian people-group—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed with a sword Balaam, the son of Beor.
9 Afei, Israel asraafo no kyekyeree Midian mmea ne mmofra nyinaa ne wɔn anantwi ne wɔn nguan fom nneɛma pii kaa ho sɛ asade.
They captured all the women and children of the Midian people-group and took away their cattle, their flocks of sheep, and herds of goats, and all their other possessions.
10 Wɔtoo Midian no atenae, nkurow ne nkuraa nyinaa mu gya, hyew no pasaa.
Then they burned down all the houses in the towns and villages where the people of the Midian people-group lived,
11 Wɔfaa asade ne afowde a nnipa no ne mmoa ka ho.
but they took home with them all the women and children and animals and possessions.
12 Wɔde nnommum no ne ɔko no mu nneɛma a wonyae no nyinaa brɛɛ Mose, ɔsɔfo Eleasar ne Israelfo a na wɔabɔ wɔn atenase wɔ Moab tataw so baabi a na ɛbɛn Asubɔnten Yordan a wotwa fi Yeriko baa hɔ no.
They brought all these to Eliezer and Moses/me, and to the rest of the Israeli people who were at their/our camp on the plains where the Moab people-group lived, near the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
13 Mose ne ɔsɔfo Eleasar ne mpanyimfo a wotuatua nnipa no ano no fii atenae hɔ kohyiaa nkonimdifo no kwan.
Eleazar and all the leaders of the people and Moses/I went outside the camp to greet/meet with them.
14 Nanso Mose bo fuw mpanyimfo a wotuatua nsraadɔm apem ne ɔha no ano a wofi ɔsa no bae no.
But Moses/I was angry with some of the men who had returned from the battle. He/I was angry with the army officers and the men who were commanders of 1,000 men and those who were commanders of 100 men.
15 Obisaa wɔn se, “So moankunkum mmea no?
He/I asked them, “Why did you allow the women to live [RHQ]?
16 Wɔn ne nnipa no a wotie Balaam nti wɔtwetwee Israelfo na amma wɔanni Awurade nokware kɔsom abosom wɔ bepɔw Peor so a enti ɛmaa ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bebree baa Awurade nkurɔfo so no.
They are the ones who did what Balaam suggested and urged/persuaded our people to worship Baal [instead of Yahweh]. As a result, Yahweh caused a plague to strike his people while they were at Peor.
17 Munkunkum mmarimaa no nyinaa. Na munkunkum mmea a wɔne mmarima adeda no nyinaa.
So, now you must kill all the boys of the Midian people-group, and also kill all the women who have had sex [EUP] with any man.
18 Mmeawa nketewa a wɔne mmarima nnae no na munnyaa wɔn na mo ne wɔn ntena.
Spare only the girls who are virgins [EUP]. You can keep them to be your [wives or your slaves].
19 “Ɛsɛ sɛ obiara a wakum obi, anaa ɔde ne nsa kaa nea wɔakum no no, fi atenae ha nkɔtena baabi nnanson. Munnwira mo ho ne mo nnommum no nnansa ne ne nnanson so.
All of you who have killed someone or touched the corpse of someone who was killed [in the battle] must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and on the seventh day, you must [perform the ritual to] cause you and those whom you have captured to become acceptable to God again.
20 Munnwira mo ntade ne biribiara a wɔde aboa nhoma, abirekyi nwi anaa dua ayɛ.”
You must also wash your clothes and anything [that you took to the battle] that is made of leather or goat’s hair or wood.”
21 Afei, ɔsɔfo Eleasar ka kyerɛɛ mmarima a wɔkɔɔ ɔko no se, “Eyi ne mmara a Awurade ahyɛ a waka akyerɛ Mose:
Then Eleazar said to the soldiers who had returned from the battle, “This is what Yahweh has instructed Moses:
22 Sikakɔkɔɔ, dwetɛ, kɔbere, dade, sanyaa, sumpii
You must put into a fire any gold or silver or bronze or iron or tin or lead things [that you brought back from the battle].
23 ne biribiara a etumi etumi gyina ogya ano no ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde fa ogya mu sɛnea ɛho bɛtew. Eyi akyi, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ahodwira nsu dwira ho ma ɛtew ho. Nanso, biribiara a ɛrentumi nnyina ogya ano no de, wɔmfa nsu nnwira ho.
Put everything that will not burn into the fire, and then they will be acceptable for you to use. But also sprinkle those things with the water that causes things and people to become acceptable to God. The things that would burn [if you put them] in a fire, sprinkle them with that water.
24 Nnanson so no, ɛsɛ sɛ mohoro mo ntade na mo ho afi. Afei mubetumi asan aba atenae hɔ.”
On the seventh day, wash your clothes, and then you will become acceptable to God again. After you do that, you may return to the camp.”
25 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
26 “Ɛsɛ sɛ wo ne ɔsɔfo Eleasar ne mmusua no mpanyimfo nyinaa kan asade a nnipa ne mmoa a mofaa wɔ ɔko no mu no.
“Tell Eleazar and the leaders of the family groups that they must write down a list of all the goods, the women, and the animals that were captured [in the battle].
27 Monkyɛ asade no mu abien pɛpɛɛpɛ mfa fa mma asraafo a wɔkɔɔ ɔko no na momfa fa a aka no mma nnipa a wɔaka no.
Then they must divide all those things, half given to the men who fought in the battle and the other half given to the rest of the people.
28 Asraafo a wɔkoo no kyɛfa mu no, munyi ahannum biara so baako; sɛ ɛyɛ nnipa, anantwi, mfurum anaa nguan na momfa nsom Awurade.
From the men who fought in the battle, take one from every 500 people and from every 500 cattle and donkeys and sheep, to be a tax for me.
29 Fa saa kyɛfa yi ma ɔsɔfo Eleasar na onhim no afɔremuka no anim mfa mma Awurade.
Take these things to Eleazar to (be my share/belong to me).
30 Afei Israelfo a wɔaka no kyɛfa no, munyi aduonum biara mu baako; sɛ ɛyɛ nnipa, anantwi, mfurum, nguanten anaa mmoa foforo biara no, momfa mma Lewifo a wɔhwɛ Awurade Ahyiae Ntamadan no so no.”
And from the half that belongs to the ordinary people, take one item from every 50. That includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give those things to the descendants of Levi who take care of my Sacred Tent.”
31 Enti Mose ne ɔsɔfo Eleasar yɛɛ nea Awurade hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no.
So Eleazar and Moses/I did what Yahweh commanded.
32 Asade a ɛkae a akofo no fae no dodow yɛ nguan mpem ahansia ne aduɔson anum;
There were 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 virgins that they had captured from the Midian people-group.
33 anantwi mpem aduɔson abien;
34 mfurum mpem aduosia baako;
35 ne mmeawa mpem aduasa abien.
36 Nneɛma no fa a wɔde maa asraafo no dodow ni: Nguan mpem ahaasa aduasa ason ne ahannum
The men who fought in the battle took 337,000 sheep [from the battle],
37 a wɔde mu ahansia aduɔson anum som Awurade;
and they gave 675 of them to Yahweh.
38 Anantwi mpem aduasa asia a wɔde mu aduɔson abien som Awurade;
They took 36,000 cattle and gave 72 of them to Yahweh.
39 mfurum mpem aduasa ne ahannum a wɔde emu aduosia baako som Awurade;
They took 30,500 donkeys, and they gave 61 of them to Yahweh.
40 mmeawa mpem dunsia; wɔde wɔn mu aduasa abien som Awurade.
They took 16,000 virgins, and they dedicated 32 of them to Yahweh.
41 Kyɛfa a wɔde Awurade no nyinaa no wɔde maa ɔsɔfo Eleasar sɛnea Awurade kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ ɔnyɛ no ara pɛ.
Moses/I gave to Eleazar all [the animals] that had been given to Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded.
42 Asade no a Israelfo no nyaa no na edidi so yi:
Moses/I separated what those who had fought in the battle received from what the other people received. The people had taken 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 virgins,
43 nguan mpem ahaasa aduasa ason ne ahannum,
44 anantwi mpem aduasa asia,
45 mfurum Mpem aduasa ne ahannum ne
46 mmeawa mpem dunsia.
47 Nnipa no kyɛfa a wonyae no, Mose yiyii nnommum ne mmoa aduonum biara mu baako de maa Lewifo a wɔhwɛ Awurade Ahyiae Ntamadan so no. Wɔyɛɛ eyi nyinaa sɛnea Awurade hyɛɛ Mose no.
From what the people received, Moses/I took one from every 50 items and dedicated them to Yahweh. That included animals and people. As Yahweh commanded, he/I gave them all to the descendants of Levi who took care of the Sacred Tent.
48 Afei, asraafo no so mpanyimfo baa Mose nkyɛn
Then the army officers and those who commanded 1,000 men and those who commanded 100 men came to Moses/me.
49 bɛka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yɛabu nnipa a yɛde wɔn kɔɔ ɔko no nyinaa ano akyerɛ wo na ɔbaako koraa anyera.
They said, “We, who are your servants, have counted the soldiers whom we command, and [we found that] none of them (is missing/has been killed).
50 Ɛno nti, yefi nea yenyaa no ɔko no mu no bi mu rebɛda Awurade ase. Yɛn asedade no yɛ sika nnwinne, nkapo, nkaa, asokaa ne kɔnmuade. Eyinom bɛyɛ mpata ama yɛn kra wɔ Awurade anim.”
So [to thank Yahweh for that], we have brought to him a gift of the gold items that we found [after the battle]: Gold arm bands and bracelets and rings and earrings and necklaces. This will enable us to be forgiven for our sins.”
51 Mose ne ɔsɔfo Eleasar gyee saa akyɛde yi a ɛyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ne nnwinne no fii asraafo mpanyimfo no nkyɛn.
So Eleazar and Moses/I accepted the gold items that they brought.
52 Ne nyinaa mu sikakɔkɔɔ a asahene no de bae sɛ akyɛde a wɔde rebrɛ Awurade no ano si nkaribo kilogram ɔha ne aduɔkron.
The total of it weighed about (420 pounds/190 kg.).
53 Na asraafo no afa ɔko no mu nneɛma a wonyae no bi.
Each soldier had taken these things for himself.
54 Enti Mose ne Eleasar gyee akyɛde no fii asraafo mpanyimfo no hɔ, na wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ no baa Ahyiae Ntamadan no mu sɛ ɛnyɛ nkae ade mma Awurade sɛ Israelfo yɛ ne dea.
Eleazar and Moses/I accepted these gold items from these commanders and put them in the Sacred Tent to remind the Israeli people about how Yahweh [had helped them defeat the Midian people-group].
