1 T he Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

3 T hen 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.

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

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

Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”

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

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

6 M oses 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.

Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

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

They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.

8 T hey 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.

They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

9 T he 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.

The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.

10 T hen they burned all their cities where they lived and all their tents.

All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.

11 T hey took all that was left of both man and animal.

They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.

12 A nd 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.

They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.

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

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

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

Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.

15 H e said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live?

Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?

16 S ee, 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.

Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.

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

Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.

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

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

19 S tay 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.

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

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

As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves.”

21 T hen 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.

Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses:

22 T ake the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead,

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

23 e verything 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.

everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.

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

You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”

25 T he Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

26 “ 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.

“Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation;

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

and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

28 T hen 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.

Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks.

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

Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.

30 F rom 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.”

Of the children 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 flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle.”

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

Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.

32 W hat was left from that which the men of war had taken was 675, 000 sheep,

Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,

33 7 2, 000 cattle,

and seventy-two thousand head of cattle,

34 6 1, 000 donkeys,

and sixty-one thousand donkeys,

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

and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.

36 T he half taken by those who went out to war was 337, 500 sheep.

The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:

37 T he Lord’s tax was 675 sheep.

and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.

38 T here were 36, 000 cattle, from which the Lord’s tax was seventy-two.

The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.

39 T here were 30, 500 donkeys, from which the Lord’s tax was sixty-one.

The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.

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

The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

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

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

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

Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought

43 T he people’s half was 337, 500 sheep,

(now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

44 3 6, 000 cattle,

and thirty-six thousand head of cattle,

45 3 0, 500 donkeys,

and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

46 a nd 16, 000 persons.

and sixteen thousand persons),

47 M oses 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.

even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

48 T hen the leaders of the thousands of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, came to Moses.

The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.

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

They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.

50 W e 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.”

We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”

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

Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.

52 A ll 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.

All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.

53 F or the men of war had taken things from the battle, every man for himself.

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

54 S o 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.

Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh.