Numbers 31

1And the LORDH3068 saidH1696 toH413 MosesH4872H559, 2“Take vengeanceH5358H5360 onH854 the MidianitesH4084 for the IsraelitesH1121H3478. After thatH310, you will be gatheredH622 toH413 your peopleH5971.”

3So MosesH4872 toldH1696H413 the peopleH5971H559, “ArmH2502H854 some of your menH582 for warH6635, that they may goH1961 againstH5921 the MidianitesH4080 and executeH5414 the LORD’sH3068 vengeanceH5360 on themH4080. 4SendH7971 into battleH6635 a thousand menH505 from eachH3605 tribeH4294 of IsraelH3478.”

5So a thousand menH505 were recruitedH4560 from each tribeH4294 of IsraelH3478—twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 armedH2502 for warH6635. 6And MosesH4872 sentH7971 the thousandH505 from each tribeH4294 into battleH6635, along withH853 PhinehasH6372 sonH1121 of EleazarH499 the priestH3548H6635, who took with himH3027 the vesselsH3627 of the sanctuaryH6944 and the trumpetsH2689 for signalingH8643.

7Then they waged warH6633 againstH5921 MidianH4080, asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872, and they killedH2026 everyH3605 maleH2145. 8AmongH5921 the slainH2491 were EviH189, RekemH7552, ZurH6698, HurH2354, and RebaH7254—the fiveH2568 kingsH4428 of MidianH4080. They also killedH2026 BalaamH1109 sonH1121 of BeorH1160 with the swordH2719.

9The IsraelitesH1121H3478 capturedH7617 the MidianiteH4080 womenH802 and their childrenH2945, and they plunderedH962 allH3605 their herdsH929, flocksH4735, and goodsH2428. 10ThenH853 they burnedH8313H784 allH3605 the citiesH5892 where the Midianites had livedH4186, as well as allH3605 their encampmentsH2918, 11and carried awayH3947 allH3605 the plunderH7998 andH3605 spoilsH4455, both peopleH120 and animalsH929.

12They broughtH935 the captivesH7628, spoilsH4455, and plunderH7998 toH413 MosesH4872, toH413 EleazarH499 the priestH3548, and toH413 the congregationH5712H1121 of IsraelH3478 atH413 the campH4264 onH413 the plainsH6160 of MoabH4124, byH5921 the JordanH3383 across from JerichoH3405. 13And MosesH4872, EleazarH499 the priestH3548, and allH3605 the leadersH5387 of the congregationH5712 wentH3318 to meet themH7122H413 outsideH2351 the campH4264.

14But MosesH4872 was angryH7107 withH5921 the officersH6485 of the armyH2428—the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and commandersH8269 of hundredsH3967—who were returningH935 fromH6635 the battleH4421. 15“Have you sparedH2421 allH3605 the womenH5347?” heH4872 asked themH559H413. 16“LookH2005, these womenH2007 causedH1961 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, through the counselH1697 of BalaamH1109, to turnH4560 unfaithfullyH4604 against the LORDH3068 atH5921 PeorH6465, so that the plagueH4046 struckH1961 the congregationH5712 of the LORDH3068. 17So nowH6258, killH2026 allH3605 the boysH2145H2945, as well asH2026 everyH3605 womanH802 who has had relations withH3045H376H4904 a manH2145, 18but spareH2421 for yourselves everyH3605 girlH2945H802 whoH834 has neverH3808 had relationsH3045H4904 with a manH2145.

19All of youH3605 who have killedH2026 a personH5315H3605 or touchedH5060 the deadH2491 are to remainH2583 outsideH2351 the campH4264 for sevenH7651 daysH3117. On the thirdH7992 dayH3117 and the seventhH7637 dayH3117 you are to purifyH2398 both yourselvesH859 and your captivesH7628. 20And purifyH2398 everyH3605 garmentH899 and leatherH5785H3605 goodH3627, everythingH4639 made of goat’s hairH5795, and everyH3605 articleH3627 of woodH6086.”

21Then EleazarH499 the priestH3548 saidH559 toH413 the soldiersH582H6635 who had goneH935 into battleH4421, “ThisH2063 is the statuteH2708 of the lawH8451 whichH834 the LORDH3068 has commandedH6680 MosesH4872: 22OnlyH389 the goldH2091, silverH3701, bronzeH5178, ironH1270, tinH913, and leadH5777— 23everythingH3605H1697 thatH834 can withstandH935 the fireH784—must be putH5674 through the fireH784, and it will be cleanH2891. ButH389 it must still be purifiedH2398 with the waterH4325 of purificationH5079. And everythingH3605 thatH834 cannotH3808 withstandH935 the fireH784 must passH5674 through the waterH4325. 24On the seventhH7637 dayH3117 you are to washH3526 your clothesH899, and you will be cleanH2891. After thatH310 you may enterH935H413 the campH4264.”

Division of the Spoils

25The LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872H559, 26“YouH859 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 and the familyH1 headsH7218 of the congregationH5712 are to take a countH5375 of what was capturedH4455H7628, both of manH120 and beastH929. 27Then divideH2673 the captivesH4455 betweenH996 the troopsH8610H4421 who went outH3318 to battleH6635H996 and the rest ofH3605 the congregationH5712.

28Set asideH7311 a tributeH4371 for the LORDH3068 from what belongsH854 to the soldiersH4421H582 who wentH3318 into battleH6635: oneH259H5315 out ofH4480 every fiveH2568 hundredH3967, whether personsH120, cattleH1241H4480, donkeysH2543H4480, or sheepH6629. 29Take itH3947 from their halfH4276 and giveH5414 it to EleazarH499 the priestH3548 as an offeringH8641 to the LORDH3068.

30FromH4480 the IsraelitesH1121H3478’ halfH4276, takeH3947 oneH259H270 out ofH4480 every fiftyH2572, whether personsH120, cattleH1241H4480, donkeysH2543H4480, sheepH6629, or otherH3605 animalsH929, and giveH5414 themH853 to the LevitesH3881 who keepH8104 chargeH4931 of the tabernacleH4908 of the LORDH3068.”

31So MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 didH6213 asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872, 32and this plunderH4455 remainedH3499 from the spoilsH957 the soldiersH5971H6635 had takenH962:

675,000H8337H3967H505H7657H2568 sheepH6629, 3372,000H8147H7657H505 cattleH1241, 3461,000H259H8346H505 donkeysH2543, 35andH5315 32,000H8147H7970H505 womenH802 whoH834 had notH3808 slept withH3045H4904 a manH2145. 36

This was the halfH4275 portionH2506 for those who had goneH3318 to warH6635:

37337,500H7969H3967H505H7970H7651H2568 sheepH6629, includingH1961 a tributeH4371 to the LORDH3068 of 675H8337H3967H2568H7657, 3836,000H8337H7970H505 cattleH1241, including a tributeH4371 to the LORDH3068 of 72H8147H7657, 3930,500H7970H505H2568H3967 donkeysH2543, including a tributeH4371 to the LORDH3068 of 61H259H8346, 40and 16,000H8337H6240H505 peopleH5315H120, including a tributeH4371 to the LORDH3068 of 32H8147H7970.

41MosesH4872 gaveH5414 the tributeH4371 to EleazarH499 the priestH3548 as an offeringH8641 for the LORDH3068, asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872.

42FromH4480 the IsraelitesH1121H3478’ halfH4276, whichH834 MosesH4872 had set apartH2673 from the menH582 who had gone to warH6633, 43this half belonged toH4275 the congregationH5712H4480:

337,500H7969H3967H505H7970H7651H2568 sheepH6629, 4436,000H8337H7970H505 cattleH1241, 4530,500H7970H505H2568H3967 donkeysH2543, 46and 16,000H8337H6240H505 peopleH5315H120. 47

From the IsraelitesH1121H3478’ halfH4276, MosesH4872 tookH270 oneH259 out ofH4480 every fiftyH2572 personsH120 andH4480 animalsH929 and gaveH5414 themH853 to the LevitesH3881 who keptH8104 chargeH4931 of the tabernacleH4908 of the LORDH3068, asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 himH4872.

The Voluntary Offering

48Then the officersH6485 whoH834 were over the unitsH505 of the armyH6635—the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505H8269 and of hundredsH3967—approachedH7126H413 MosesH4872 49and saidH559H413, “Your servantsH5650 have countedH5375 the soldiersH4421 under our commandH3027, and notH3808 oneH376 of usH4480 is missingH6485. 50So we have broughtH7126 to the LORDH3068 an offeringH7133 of the goldH2091 articlesH3627 each manH376 acquiredH4672—armletsH685, braceletsH6781, ringsH2885, earringsH5694, and necklacesH3558—to make atonementH3722 forH5921 ourselvesH5315 beforeH6440 the LORDH3068.”

51So MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 receivedH3947 from themH854 allH3605 the articlesH3627 madeH4639 out of goldH2091. 52AllH3605 the goldH2091 that the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505H854H8269 and of hundredsH3967 presentedH7311 as an offeringH8641 to the LORDH3068 weighed 16,750H8337H6240H505H7651H3967H2572 shekelsH8255H854.1 53EachH582 of the soldiersH376H6635 had taken plunderH962 for himself. 54And MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 receivedH3947 the goldH2091H854 from the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and of hundredsH3967 and broughtH935 it intoH413 the TentH168 of MeetingH4150 as a memorialH2146 for the IsraelitesH1121H3478 beforeH6440 the LORDH3068.