Numbers 31

The Slaughter of Midian

1Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 2“1TakeH5358 vengeanceH5360 on the MidianitesH4084 for the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; afterwardH310 you will be 2gatheredH622 to your peopleH5971.” 3So MosesH4872 spokeH1696 to the peopleH5971, sayingH559, “ArmH2502 menH376 from amongH854 you for the warH6635, so that they may 3goH1961 againstH5921 MidianH4080 to executeH5414 4the Lord’sH3068 vengeanceH5360 on MidianH4080. 4You shall sendH7971 a thousandH505 from each tribeH4294 of allH3605 the tribesH4294 of IsraelH3478 to the warH6635.” 5So there were selectedH4560 from the thousandsH505 of IsraelH3478, a thousandH505 from each tribeH4294, twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 armedH2502 for warH6635. 6And MosesH4872 sentH7971 them, a thousandH505 from each tribeH4294, to the warH6635, and PhinehasH6372 the sonH1121 of EleazarH499 the priestH3548, to the warH6635 with them, 5and the holyH6944 implementsH3627 and 6the trumpetsH2689 for the alarmH8643 in his handH3027. 7So they madeH6633 warH6633 againstH5921 MidianH4080, justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872, and 7they killedH2026 everyH3605 maleH2145. 8They killedH2026 the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080 alongH5921 withH5921 the rest of those killedH2491: 8EviH189, RekemH7552, 9ZurH6698, HurH2354, and RebaH7254, the fiveH2568 kingsH4428 of MidianH4080. They also killedH2026 10BalaamH1109 the sonH1121 of BeorH1160 with the swordH2719. 9And the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 tookH7617 captiveH7617 the womenH802 of MidianH4080 and their littleH2945 onesH2945; and they plunderedH962 allH3605 their cattleH929, allH3605 their flocksH4735, and allH3605 their propertyH2428. 10Then they 11burnedH8313 allH3605 their citiesH5892 whereH4186 they livedH4186 and allH3605 their encampmentsH2918. 11And 12they tookH3947 allH3605 the plunderH7998 and allH3605 the spoilsH4455, both of peopleH120 and of livestockH929. 12They broughtH935 the captivesH7628 and the spoilsH4455 and the plunderH7998 to MosesH4872, to EleazarH499 the priestH3548, and to the congregationH5712 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, to the campH4264 at the plainsH6160 of MoabH4124 whichH834 are by the JordanH3383, opposite JerichoH3405.

13And MosesH4872, EleazarH499 the priestH3548, and allH3605 the leadersH5387 of the congregationH5712 wentH3318 outH3318 to meetH7122 them outsideH413H4480H2351 the campH4264. 14But MosesH4872 wasH7107 angryH7107 with the officersH6485 of the armyH2428, the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and the commandersH8269 of hundredsH3967, who had comeH935 from serviceH6635 in the warH4421. 15And MosesH4872 saidH559 to them, “Have you 13sparedH2421 14allH3605 the womenH5347? 1615BeholdH2005, they causedH1961 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, through the 16counselH1697 of 17BalaamH1109, to be unfaithfulH4604 to the LordH3068 in the matterH1697 of PeorH6465, so that the plagueH4046 tookH1961 placeH1961 among the congregationH5712 of the LordH3068! 1718NowH6258 therefore, killH2026 everyH3605 maleH2145 among the littleH2945 onesH2945, and killH2026 everyH3605 womanH802 who has knownH3045 a manH376 19intimatelyH4904H2145. 18However, allH3605 the 20girlsH2945H802 whoH834 have not knownH3045 a 21manH2145 intimatelyH4904H2145, keepH2421 aliveH2421 for yourselves. 1922And as for you, campH2583 outsideH4480H2351 the campH4264 for sevenH7651 daysH3117; whoeverH3605 has killedH2026 a personH5315 and whoeverH3605 has touchedH5060 anyone killedH2491, purifyH2398 yourselves, you and your captivesH7628, on the thirdH7992 dayH3117 and on the seventhH7637 dayH3117. 20And you shall purifyH2398 for yourselves everyH3605 garmentH899, everyH3605 articleH3627 of leatherH5785, everyH3605 workH4639 of goats’H5795 hair, and everyH3605 articleH3627 of woodH6086.”

21Then EleazarH499 the priestH3548 saidH559 to the menH376 of warH6635 who had goneH935 to battleH4421, “ThisH2088 is the statuteH2708 of the LawH8451 whichH834 the LordH3068 has commandedH6680 MosesH4872: 22onlyH389 the goldH2091 and the silverH3701, the bronzeH5178, the ironH1270, the tinH913, and the leadH5777, 23everythingH3605 that can 23withstandH935 the fireH784, you shall passH5674 through the fireH784, and it will beH2891 cleanH2891, onlyH389 it shall be purifiedH2398 with 24waterH4325 for impurityH5079. But whateverH3605H834 cannotH3808 25withstandH935 the fireH784 you shall passH5674 through the waterH4325. 24And you shall washH3526 your clothesH899 on the seventhH7637 dayH3117 and you will beH2891 cleanH2891; and afterwardH310 you may enterH935 the campH4264.”

Division of the Plunder

25Then the LordH3068 spokeH559 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 26“You and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 and the headsH7218 of the fathers’H1 households of the congregationH5712 takeH5375 a countH7218 of the spoilsH4455 26that were capturedH7628, both of peopleH120 and of livestockH929; 27and 27divideH2673 the spoilsH4455 betweenH996 the warriorsH8610H4421 who wentH3318 to battleH6635 and allH3605 the congregationH5712. 28Also, 28collectH7311 a tributeH4371 taxH4371 for the LordH3068 from the menH376 of warH4421 who wentH3318 to battleH4421, oneH259 29in fiveH2568 hundredH3967 of the personsH120, of the cattleH1241, of the donkeysH2543, and of the sheepH6629; 29takeH3947 it from their halfH4276 and giveH5414 it to EleazarH499 the priestH3548, as an 30offeringH8641 to the LordH3068. 30And from the sonsH1121 of Israel’sH3478 halfH4276, you shall takeH3947 oneH259 drawnH270 from every fiftyH2572 of the personsH120, of the cattleH1241, of the donkeysH2543, and of the sheepH6629, from allH3605 the animalsH929; and giveH5414 them to the LevitesH3881 who 31performH8104 the dutyH4931 of the tabernacleH4908 of the LordH3068.” 31MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 didH6213 justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872.

32Now the spoilsH4455 that remainedH1961H3499 from the plunderH957 whichH834 the 32menH5971 of warH6635 had plunderedH962 was 675,000H8337H3967H505H7657H2568 sheepH6629, 33seventy-twoH8147H7657 thousandH505 cattleH1241, 34sixty-oneH259H8346 thousandH505 donkeysH2543, 35and of captive peopleH5315H120, of the womenH802 whoH834 had not knownH3045 a 33manH2145 intimatelyH4904, in allH3605 were thirty-twoH8147H7970 thousandH505 peopleH5315.

36The halfH4275, the shareH2506 of those who wentH3318 to warH6635, was as follows: the numberH4557 of sheepH6629 was 337,500H7969H3967H505H7970H7651H2568, 37the Lord’sH3068 tributeH4371 taxH4371 of the sheepH6629 was 675H8337H3967H2568H7657; 38the cattleH1241 were thirty-sixH7970H8337 thousandH505, from which the Lord’sH3068 tributeH4371 taxH4371 was seventy-twoH8147H7657; 39the donkeysH2543 were 30,500H7970H505H2568H3967, from which the Lord’sH3068 tributeH4371 taxH4371 was sixty-oneH259H8346; 40and the captive peopleH5315H120 were sixteenH8337H6240 thousandH505, from whom the Lord’sH3068 tributeH4371 taxH4371 was thirty-twoH8147H7970 personsH5315. 41And MosesH4872 gaveH5414 the tributeH4371 taxH4371, which was the Lord’sH3068 offeringH8641, to EleazarH499 the priestH3548, justH3512 34as the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872.

42As for the sonsH1121 of Israel’sH3478 halfH4276, whichH834 MosesH4872 35separatedH2673 from the menH376 who had goneH6633 toH6633 warH6633-- 43now the congregation’sH5712 halfH4275 was 337,500H7969H3967H505H7970H7651H2568 sheepH6629, 44thirty-sixH8337H7970 thousandH505 cattleH1241, 4530,500H7970H505H2568H3967 donkeysH2543, 46and the captive peopleH5315H120 were sixteenH8337H6240 thousandH505-- 47from the sonsH1121 of Israel’sH3478 halfH4276 MosesH4872 tookH3947 oneH259 drawnH270 from every fiftyH2572, bothH4480 of peopleH120 and of animalsH929, and gaveH5414 them to the LevitesH3881, who performedH8104 the dutyH4931 of the tabernacleH4908 of the LordH3068, justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872.

48Then the officersH6485 whoH834 were over the thousandsH505 of the armyH6635, the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and the commandersH8269 of hundredsH3967, approachedH7126 MosesH4872, 49and they saidH559 to MosesH4872, “Your servantsH5650 have takenH5375 a censusH7218 of the menH376 of warH4421 whoH834 are 36under our authorityH3027, and noH3808 manH376 of us isH6485 missingH6485. 50So we have broughtH7126 as an offeringH7133 to the LordH3068 whatH834 eachH376 manH376 foundH4672, articlesH3627 of goldH2091, armletsH685 and braceletsH6781, signetH2885 ringsH2885, earringsH5694, and necklacesH3558, 37to makeH3722 atonementH3722 for ourselvesH5315 beforeH6440 the LordH3068.” 51MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 tookH3947 the goldH2091 from them, allH3605 kinds of craftedH4639 articlesH3627. 52AllH3605 the goldH2091 of the offeringH8641 whichH834 they offeredH7311 upH7311 to the LordH3068, from the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and the commandersH8269 of hundredsH3967, was 16,750H8337H6240H505H7651H3967H2572 shekelsH8255. 5338The menH376 of warH6635 had takenH962 plunderH962, everyH376 manH376 for himself. 54So MosesH4872 and EleazarH499 the priestH3548 tookH3947 the goldH2091 from the commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and of hundredsH3967, and broughtH935 it to the tentH168 of meetingH4150 as 39a memorialH2146 for the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 beforeH6440 the LordH3068.