Numbers 31

1 Later, the LORD told Moses,ISV — Numbers 31:1

2 “Be sure to exact vengeance on behalf of the Israelis from the Midianites, after which you’ll be taken home ^{a31:2 Lit. be gathered} to your people.”ISV — Numbers 31:2

3 So Moses instructed the people, “Muster your men of war to attack the Midianites and deliver the LORD’S vengeance against Midian.ISV — Numbers 31:3

4 Send 1,000 men to war from every tribe throughout all of Israel.”ISV — Numbers 31:4

5 So 1,000 men from every tribe—12,000 from the thousands of Israel—were mustered and equipped for war.ISV — Numbers 31:5

6 Moses sent 1,000 men from every tribe to fight against them, along with Eleazar’s son Phinehas, in whose hands were the articles of the sanctuary and trumpets to sound battle alarms.ISV — Numbers 31:6

7 They fought against the Midianites ^{b31:7 Lit. Midian} just as the LORD had commanded Moses, killing every man.ISV — Numbers 31:7

8 They executed the five kings of Midian, including Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also executed Beor’s son Balaam with a sword.ISV — Numbers 31:8

9 After this, the Israelis took captive the Midianite women and children ^{c31:9 Or little ones} and confiscated as spoils of war all their cattle, livestock, and their goods.ISV — Numbers 31:9

10 They burned every town where they had lived and incinerated all of their encampments.ISV — Numbers 31:10

11 They took all the booty and plunder, including both humans and animals.ISV — Numbers 31:11

12 Then they brought the captives, booty, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the entire community of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River in Jericho.ISV — Numbers 31:12

13 Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp.ISV — Numbers 31:13

14 But Moses became livid with anger at the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds who had returned from servicing in the battle.ISV — Numbers 31:14

15 “Did you keep all the women alive?” Moses asked them.ISV — Numbers 31:15

16 “Look! These women were the same ones who were counseled by Balaam to cause the Israelis to commit a grievous sin against the LORD at Peor. As a result, that plague infected the LORD’s community.ISV — Numbers 31:16

17 You are to kill every male child ^{d31:17 Lit. every male among the little ones} and every woman who has had sexual relations with a man. ^{e31:17 Lit. every woman who has known a man by lying with him}ISV — Numbers 31:17

18 You are to allow the young women who haven’t yet had sexual relations with a man ^{f31:18 Lit. little ones among the women, who had not known a man by lying with him} to live for yourselves.”ISV — Numbers 31:18

19 “Now you are to stay outside the camp for seven days, after which any of you who has killed a person ^{g31:19 Lit. soul} or touched someone who was killed may purify yourselves on the third day. You and your captives will be pure on the seventh day.ISV — Numbers 31:19

20 Furthermore, you are to purify every garment—that is, everything made of leather, goat’s hair, or containing wood.”ISV — Numbers 31:20

21 Eleazar the priest told the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the ordinance of the law that the LORD commanded MosesISV — Numbers 31:21

22 concerning anything containing gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, lead,ISV — Numbers 31:22

23 or anything else that can survive a refiner’s fire: You are to pass it through fire, after which it will be clean. Then it is to be purified with the water of impurity. Everything that cannot survive a refiner’s fire is to be washed in water.ISV — Numbers 31:23

24 Wash your clothes on the seventh day, after which you will be clean. Then you may enter the camp.”ISV — Numbers 31:24

25 Then the LORD told Moses,ISV — Numbers 31:25

26 “Take an inventory of the booty that was taken in the battle, ^{h31:26 The Heb. lacks in the battle} both of humans and of animals. Then you, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the fathers of the communityISV — Numbers 31:26

27 are to divide the booty between the warriors who went to war and the rest of the community.ISV — Numbers 31:27

28 “After this, you are to exact a tribute for the LORD from the soldiers who went to war, consisting of the tribute earned by one person out of every 500, whether from people, cattle, donkeys, or flocks.ISV — Numbers 31:28

29 You are to take half their share and give it to Eleazar the priest as a raised offering to the LORD.ISV — Numbers 31:29

30 Then take half the share of the Israelis, one drawn out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, flocks, and from every animal, then give to the descendants of Levi who maintain the service of the LORD’s tent.”ISV — Numbers 31:30

31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did what the LORD had commanded Moses.ISV — Numbers 31:31

32 The goods confiscated in excess of the war implements ^{i31:32 Lit. booty} that the warriors had gathered included 675,000 sheep,ISV — Numbers 31:32

33 72,000 cattle,ISV — Numbers 31:33

34 61,000 donkeys, andISV — Numbers 31:34

35 32,000 women who had not had sexual relations with a man.ISV — Numbers 31:35

36 Now half of the share of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep,ISV — Numbers 31:36

37 so the LORD’s tribute from the sheep totaled 675.ISV — Numbers 31:37

38 The cattle numbered 36,000, so the LORD’s tribute totaled 72.ISV — Numbers 31:38

39 The donkeys numbered 30,500, so the LORD’s tribute totaled 61.ISV — Numbers 31:39

40 The people ^{j31:40 MT as soul of man} numbered 16,000, so the LORD’s tribute totaled 32 people.ISV — Numbers 31:40

41 Then Moses gave the tribute, a raised offering to the LORD, to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.ISV — Numbers 31:41

42 From half of the share of the Israelis that Moses had set aside from the soldiers,ISV — Numbers 31:42

43 there were 337,500 sheep for the community,ISV — Numbers 31:43

44 36,000 cattle,ISV — Numbers 31:44

45 30,500 donkeys,ISV — Numbers 31:45

46 and 16,000 people.ISV — Numbers 31:46

47 Moses took a portion drawn from every 50 Israelis, including from both human and animals, and gave them to the descendants of Levi who maintained the LORD’s tent, just as the LORD had commanded him. ^{k31:47 Lit. Moses}ISV — Numbers 31:47

48 Then the officers in charge of thousands of soldiers, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds approached MosesISV — Numbers 31:48

49 and told him, ^{l31:49 Lit. Moses} “Your servants took a count of the soldiers who were under our authority. We didn’t miss a single man.ISV — Numbers 31:49

50 We’ve brought offerings to the LORD from whatever each man found—jewel-encrusted gold, anklets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves ^{m31:50 Or our soul} in the LORD’s presence.”ISV — Numbers 31:50

51 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them and everything that was fashioned into jewels.ISV — Numbers 31:51

52 The gold for the raised offering that they brought to the LORD totaled 16,750 shekels,ISV — Numbers 31:52

53 because every soldier had confiscated war booty for his own use.ISV — Numbers 31:53

54 Moses and Eleazar took the gold from the captains of thousands and hundreds and brought it to the Tent of Meeting, to serve as a memorial to the Israelis in the LORD’s presence.ISV — Numbers 31:54