NUMBERS 31

Now Yehowah spoke to Moses, and said, 2 Execute the vengeance of the sons of Israel on the Midianites; after that, you shall be gathered to your people. 3 So Moses spoke to the people, and said, Arm your men for the army, so that they may go against Midian to wreak Yehowah's vengeance on Midian. 4 You shall send a thousand from each tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel. 5 So out of the thousands of Israel a thousand were conscripted from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moses sent them to war, a thousand from each tribe; he sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to war with them, with the furnishings of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alert in his hands. 7 And they warred against Midian, as Yehowah commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 And they killed the kings of Midian with the others who were killed, Ewi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 And the sons of Israel took the women of Midian and their children captive; and they took all their cattle, flocks, and wealth for booty. 10 And they burned all their cities in the places where they lived, and all their encampments, with fire, 11 and took all the spoil and plunder, both man and beast. 12 And they brought the captives, and the plunder and the spoil, to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab which are across the Jordan from Jericho.

13 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. 14 And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came with the army from the battle; 15 and Moses said to them, Have you let all the women live? 16 Look, through Balaam's counsel, women caused the sons of Israel to commit a trespass against Yehowah in the affair of Peor, so that a plague came among the congregation of Yehowah. 17 Now therefore, kill every male child, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with a male. 18 But you may keep alive for yourselves all the female children who have not known man by lying with a male. 19 And camp outside the camp for seven days; all of you who have killed any persons, or who have touched any of those who were killed, shall purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and the seventh day. 20 And you shall purify all clothing, every article of skin, all fabric of goat's hair, and every wooden vessel.

21 And Eleazar the priest said to the men of the army who went to battle, This is the statute of the law which Yehowah commanded Moses: 22 the gold and silver, the bronze, iron, tin, and lead, 23 every thing which can resist fire, you shall pass through fire to make it clean; nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water of impurity; but every thing which cannot resist fire you must pass through water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day so as to be clean, and after this you may come into the camp.

25 Then Yehowah spoke to Moses, and said, 26 Take a count of the plunder which was taken, both man and beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; 27 and divide the plunder between those who took part in the battle, who went out in the army, and all the congregation. 28 And levy a tribute to Yehowah from the men of war who went out in the army: one out of every five hundred of the men, the herd, the asses, and the flock; 29 take it from their half-share, and give it to Eleazar the priest for a reserved-offering to Yehowah. 30 And from the sons of Israel's half-share you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the men, the herd, the asses, the flock, and all the cattle, and you shall give them to the Levites who perform the duties of the tabernacle of Yehowah. 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yehowah had commanded Moses.

32 Now the plunder which remained from the booty which the people of the army had taken was: of the flock, six hundred and seventy-five thousand; 33 of the herd, seventy-two thousand; 34 of asses, sixty-one thousand; 35 and of human beings, women who had not known man by lying with a male, all of them were thirty-two thousand. 36 And of the flock the half-share of those who went out in the army numbered three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred; 37 and the tribute to Yehowah from the flock was six hundred and seventy-five. 38 And there were thirty-six thousand cattle, of which the tribute to Yehowah was seventy-two. 39 And there were thirty thousand five hundred asses, of which the tribute to Yehowah was sixty-one. 40 And there were sixteen thousand human beings, of whom the tribute to Yehowah was thirty-two people. 41 And Moses gave the tribute, the reserved-offering of Yehowah, to Eleazar the priest, as Yehowah had commanded Moses.

42 And from the sons of Israel's half-share, which Moses took from the men who fought- 43 now the congregation's half-share was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred from the flock, 44 thirty-six thousand from the herd, 45 thirty thousand five hundred asses, 46 and sixteen thousand human beings- 47 thus from the sons of Israel's half-share, Moses took one out of every fifty, both man and beast, and gave them to the Levites who performed the duties of the tabernacle of Yehowah; as Yehowah had commanded Moses.

48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, approached Moses; 49 and they said to Moses, Your servants have called the roll of the men of war who are in our charge, and not one of us is missing. 50 So we have brought a gift for Yehowah, every man from what he has gained, jewels of gold, armlets and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and bead-clusters, to make a reconciliation for ourselves before Yehowah. 51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from them, all wrought jewellery. 52 And all the gold of the reserved-offering which they presented to Yehowah from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (The men of the army had taken booty, every man for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a reminder for the sons of Israel to Yehowah.