1 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“ Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will 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.

Moses 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.

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

A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send 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 furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand 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.

Moses 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.

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

So they made war against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed 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.

They 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.

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.

The 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.

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

Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire.

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

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.

They 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.

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 leaders of the congregation went out 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.

Moses 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.

15 A nd Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive?

And Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women?

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 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.

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 has known man intimately.

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

But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare 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.

And 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.

20 P urify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

You shall purify for yourselves every garment and every article of leather and all the work of goats’ hair, and all articles 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:

Then 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 and 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 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.

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 be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.” Division of the Booty

25 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“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;

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.

and divide the booty 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;

Levy 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;

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

take it from their 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.”

From 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.”

31 S o Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the Lord had 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,

Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered 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 of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32, 000.

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;

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

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

and the Lord’s levy of the sheep was 675;

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

and the cattle were 36, 000, from which the Lord’s levy was 72;

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

and the donkeys were 30, 500, from which the Lord’s levy was 61;

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

and the human beings were 16, 000, from whom the Lord’s levy 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.

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

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

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

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 the human beings were 16, 000—

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.

and 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.

48 T hen the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached 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.

and 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.

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.”

So 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.”

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 kinds of 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.

All 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.

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

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.

So 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.