1 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord said to Moses,

2 “ Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

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

3 S o Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord 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 recruited from the divisions of Israel one 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 T hen Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets 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 A nd they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

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

8 T hey killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed 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 A nd the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods.

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 hey also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts.

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

11 A nd they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast. Return from the War

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

12 T hen they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from 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 A nd Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went 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 B ut Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

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 kept all the women alive?

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

16 L ook, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague 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 a man intimately.

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

18 B ut keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.

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

19 A nd as for you, remain 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.

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 P urify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made 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 the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord 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, 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 endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through 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 come into the camp.” Division of the Plunder

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

25 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

And the Lord said to Moses,

26 “ Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

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 plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, 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 A nd levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and 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 a heave offering to the Lord.

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

30 A nd from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, 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 S o Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

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

32 T he booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,

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

33 s eventy-two thousand cattle,

And 72, 000 cattle,

34 s ixty-one thousand donkeys,

And 61, 000 donkeys,

35 a nd thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately.

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

36 A nd the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

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

37 a nd the Lord ’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.

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

38 T he cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord ’s tribute was seventy-two.

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

39 T he donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord ’s tribute was sixty-one.

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

40 T he persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord ’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

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

41 S o Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord ’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

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

42 A nd from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—

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

43 n ow the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

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

44 t hirty-six thousand cattle,

And 36, 000 cattle,

45 t hirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

And 30, 500 donkeys,

46 a nd sixteen thousand persons—

And 16, 000 persons—

47 a nd from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord 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 thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to 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 count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a 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 T herefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and 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 S o Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.

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

52 A nd all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty 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 ( The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

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

54 A nd Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children 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.