1 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 A venge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

“Punish the Midianites for the people of Israel. After that you will be buried with your people.”

3 A nd Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian.

Then Moses said to the people, “Take men from among you and make them ready for war against Midian. They will punish Midian for the Lord.

4 O f every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

Send to the war 1, 000 men from each of all the family groups of Israel.”

5 S o there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

So 1, 000 men came from each of the family groups of the thousands of Israel. There were 12, 000 ready for war.

6 A nd Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

Moses sent them, 1, 000 from each family group, to the war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the religious leader went to the war with them. In his hand were the holy objects and the horns for blowing the sound of coming danger.

7 A nd they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

So the men made war against Midian, just as the Lord had told Moses, and they killed every male.

8 A nd they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

They killed the five kings of Midian with the sword also, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

9 A nd the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

The people of Israel took the women of Midian and their little ones, and all their cattle, all their flocks, and all the good things that belonged to them.

10 A nd they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their tents.

11 A nd they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

They took all that was left of both man and animal.

12 A nd they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

And they brought the people they had taken and the animals and whatever belonged to them to Moses, and to Eleazar the religious leader, and to the people of Israel. Their tents were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

13 A nd Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

Moses and Eleazar the religious leader and all the leaders of the people went out from the tents to meet them.

14 A nd Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

Moses was angry with the leaders of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, who had fought in the war.

15 A nd Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

He said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live?

16 B ehold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

See, these women listened to Balaam and caused the people of Israel to sin against the Lord in what happened at Peor. So the very bad disease came to the people of the Lord.

17 N ow therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

Now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had a man.

18 B ut all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

But keep alive for yourselves all the girls who have not had a man.

19 A nd do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

Stay away from the tents for seven days. If you have killed any person or have touched any dead body, you must make yourself and those you have taken clean, on the third day and on the seventh day.

20 A nd purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.

You must clean every piece of clothing, everything made of leather, everything made of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

21 A nd Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;

Then Eleazar the religious leader said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the Law which the Lord has told Moses.

22 O nly the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Take the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead,

23 E very thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

everything that can last through fire. Pass it through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must be made pure with the water for cleaning. Whatever cannot last through fire you must pass through the water.

24 A nd ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. Then you may come among the tents.”

25 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

26 T ake the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:

“You and Eleazar the religious leader and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people should number all that was taken from the battle, both of man and animal.

27 A nd divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:

Divide what was taken between the men of war who went to battle and all the people.

28 A nd levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

Then take a tax for the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle. Take one out of 500 of the persons and the cattle and the donkeys and the sheep.

29 T ake it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.

Take this from their half and give it to Eleazar the religious leader, as a gift to the Lord.

30 A nd of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.

From the half belonging to the people of Israel, take one out of every fifty of the persons and cattle and donkeys and sheep and all the animals. Give them to the Levites who take care of the meeting tent of the Lord.”

31 A nd Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses and Eleazar the religious leader did just as the Lord had told Moses.

32 A nd the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,

What was left from that which the men of war had taken was 675, 000 sheep,

33 A nd threescore and twelve thousand beeves,

72, 000 cattle,

34 A nd threescore and one thousand asses,

61, 000 donkeys,

35 A nd thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.

and 32, 000 persons in all, of women who had never had a man.

36 A nd the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:

The half taken by those who went out to war was 337, 500 sheep.

37 A nd the Lord 'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.

The Lord’s tax was 675 sheep.

38 A nd the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord 'S tribute was threescore and twelve.

There were 36, 000 cattle, from which the Lord’s tax was seventy-two.

39 A nd the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord 'S tribute was threescore and one.

There were 30, 500 donkeys, from which the Lord’s tax was sixty-one.

40 A nd the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord 'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

And there were 16, 000 persons, from whom the Lord’s tax was thirty-two.

41 A nd Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord 'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses gave the tax, which was the Lord’s gift, to Eleazar the religious leader, just as the Lord had told Moses.

42 A nd of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,

Moses divided the people of Israel’s half from the men who had gone to war.

43 ( Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,

The people’s half was 337, 500 sheep,

44 A nd thirty and six thousand beeves,

36, 000 cattle,

45 A nd thirty thousand asses and five hundred,

30, 500 donkeys,

46 A nd sixteen thousand persons;)

and 16, 000 persons.

47 E ven of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses took one out of every fifty of both man and animal from the people of Israel’s half. He gave them to the Levites, who took care of the meeting tent of the Lord, just as the Lord had told Moses.

48 A nd the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:

Then the leaders of the thousands of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, came to Moses.

49 A nd they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

They said to him, “Your servants have numbered the men of war whom we lead. Not one man is missing from us.

50 W e have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.

We have brought as a gift to the Lord what each man found, objects of gold, things to be worn on the arms and fingers and ears and necks. They are to pay for our sins before the Lord.”

51 A nd Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.

Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from them, all the objects made of beaten gold.

52 A nd all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

All the gold of the gift they gave to the Lord from the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds was worth 16, 750 gold pieces.

53 ( For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

For the men of war had taken things from the battle, every man for himself.

54 A nd Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.

So Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from the heads of thousands and of hundreds. They brought it to the meeting tent so that the people of Israel would be remembered before the Lord.