31Numbers 31

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,Select Numbers 31:1

2“Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”Select Numbers 31:2

3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.Select Numbers 31:3

4Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”Select Numbers 31:4

5So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.Select Numbers 31:5

6Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and 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.Select Numbers 31:6

7They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.Select Numbers 31:7

8They 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.Select Numbers 31:8

9The 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.Select Numbers 31:9

10All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.Select Numbers 31:10

11They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.Select Numbers 31:11

12They brought the captives, and 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.Select Numbers 31:12

13Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.Select Numbers 31:13

14Moses 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.Select Numbers 31:14

15Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?Select Numbers 31:15

16Behold, 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.Select Numbers 31:16

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.Select Numbers 31:17

18But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.Select Numbers 31:18

19“Encamp outside of the camp 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.Select Numbers 31:19

20As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves.”Select Numbers 31:20

21Eleazar 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:Select Numbers 31:21

22however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,Select Numbers 31:22

23everything 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.Select Numbers 31:23

24You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”Select Numbers 31:24

25Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,Select Numbers 31:25

26“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;Select Numbers 31:26

27and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.Select Numbers 31:27

28Levy 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.Select Numbers 31:28

29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.Select Numbers 31:29

30Of 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.”Select Numbers 31:30

31Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.Select Numbers 31:31

32Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,Select Numbers 31:32

33and seventy-two thousand head of cattle,Select Numbers 31:33

34and sixty-one thousand donkeys,Select Numbers 31:34

35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.Select Numbers 31:35

36The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:Select Numbers 31:36

37and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.Select Numbers 31:37

38The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.Select Numbers 31:38

39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.Select Numbers 31:39

40The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.Select Numbers 31:40

41Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.Select Numbers 31:41

42Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who foughtSelect Numbers 31:42

43(now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,Select Numbers 31:43

44and thirty-six thousand head of cattle,Select Numbers 31:44

45and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,Select Numbers 31:45

46and sixteen thousand persons),Select Numbers 31:46

47even 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.Select Numbers 31:47

48The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.Select Numbers 31:48

49They 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.Select Numbers 31:49

50We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”Select Numbers 31:50

51Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.Select Numbers 31:51

52All 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.Select Numbers 31:52

53The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.Select Numbers 31:53

54Moses 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.Select Numbers 31:54