1 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 “ Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.”

Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.

3 M oses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

And Moses said to the people, Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian and execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

From each of the tribes of Israel you shall send 1, 000 to the war.

5 S o there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

So there were provided out of the thousands of Israel 1, 000 from each tribe, 12, 000 armed for war.

6 M oses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

And Moses sent them to the war, 1, 000 from each tribe, together with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets to blow the alarm in his hand.

7 S o they made war against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

They fought with Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and slew every male,

8 T hey killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

Including the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba; also Balaam son of Beor they slew with the sword.

9 T he sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered.

And the Israelites took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and all their cattle, their flocks, and their goods as booty.

10 T hen they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire.

They burned all the cities in which they dwelt, and all their encampments.

11 T hey took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast.

And they took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast.

12 T hey brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Then they brought the captives, the prey, and the spoil to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the Israelites at the camp on the plains of Moab by Jordan at Jericho.

13 M oses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp.

Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes or leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.

14 M oses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.

But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, who served in the war.

15 A nd Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women?

And Moses said to them, Have you let all the women live?

16 B ehold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord.

Behold, these caused the Israelites by the counsel of Balaam to trespass and act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

17 N ow therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately.

Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who is not a virgin.

18 B ut all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.

But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.

19 A nd you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

20 Y ou shall purify for yourselves every garment and every article of leather and all the work of goats’ hair, and all articles of wood.”

You shall purify every garment, all that is made of skins, all work of goats’ hair, and every article of wood.

21 T hen Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses:

And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses:

22 o nly the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead,

Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23 e verything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water.

Everything that can stand fire, you shall make go through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water of impurity; and all that cannot stand fire you shall pass through water.

24 A nd you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.” Division of the Booty

And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and you shall be clean; then you shall come into the camp.

25 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses,

26 “ You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation take a count of the booty that was captured, both of man and of animal;

Take the count of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation.

27 a nd divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.

Divide the booty into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.

28 L evy a tax for the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle, one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep;

And levy a tribute to the Lord from the warriors who went to battle, one out of every 500 of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, and the flocks.

29 t ake it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest, as an offering to the Lord.

Take from the warriors’ half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord.

30 F rom the sons 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 sheep, from all the animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.”

And from the Israelites’ half you shall take one out of every fifty of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, the flocks, and of all livestock, and give them to the Levites who have charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.

31 M oses and Eleazar the priest did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32 N ow the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675, 000 sheep,

The prey, besides the booty which the men of war took, was 675, 000 sheep,

33 a nd 72, 000 cattle,

And 72, 000 cattle,

34 a nd 61, 000 donkeys,

And 61, 000 donkeys,

35 a nd of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32, 000.

And 32, 000 persons in all, of the women who were virgins.

36 T he half, the portion of those who went out to war, was as follows: the number of sheep was 337, 500,

And the half share, the portion of those who went to war, was: 337, 500 sheep,

37 a nd the Lord’s levy of the sheep was 675;

And the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was 675;

38 a nd the cattle were 36, 000, from which the Lord’s levy was 72;

The cattle were 36, 000, of which the Lord’s tribute was 72;

39 a nd the donkeys were 30, 500, from which the Lord’s levy was 61;

The donkeys were 30, 500, of which the Lord’s tribute was 61;

40 a nd the human beings were 16, 000, from whom the Lord’s levy was 32 persons.

The persons were 16, 000, of whom the Lord’s tribute was 32 persons.

41 M oses gave the levy which was the Lord’s offering to Eleazar the priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

And Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

42 A s for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war—

And the Israelites’ half Moses separated from that of the warriors’—

43 n ow the congregation’s half was 337, 500 sheep,

Now the congregation’s half was 337, 500 sheep,

44 a nd 36, 000 cattle,

And 36, 000 cattle,

45 a nd 30, 500 donkeys,

And 30, 500 donkeys,

46 a nd the human beings were 16, 000—

And 16, 000 persons—

47 a nd from the sons of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Even of the Israelites’ half, Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites, who had charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

48 T hen the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached Moses,

And the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, came to Moses.

49 a nd they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing.

They told, Your servants have counted the warriors under our command, and not one man of us is missing.

50 S o we have brought as an offering to the Lord what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

We have brought as the Lord’s offering what each man obtained—articles of gold, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, neck ornaments—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.

51 M oses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all kinds of wrought articles.

Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all the wrought articles.

52 A ll the gold of the offering which they offered up to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, was 16, 750 shekels.

And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds was 16, 750 shekels.

53 T he men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.

For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.

54 S o Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.