Numbers Chapter 31 (NIV)

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undefined Vengeance on the MidianitesThe Lord said to Moses,

undefined “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

undefined So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them.

undefined Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.”

undefined So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel.

undefined Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

undefined They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.

undefined Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

undefined The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.

undefined They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.

undefined They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,

undefined and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

undefined Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.

undefined Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

undefined “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them.

undefined “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.

undefined Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,

undefined but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

undefined “All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives.

undefined Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”

undefined Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the requirement of the law that the Lord gave Moses:

undefined Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead

undefined and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.

undefined On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

undefined Dividing the SpoilsThe Lord said to Moses,

undefined “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured.

undefined Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community.

undefined From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats.

undefined Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part.

undefined From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.”

undefined So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

undefined The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep,

undefined 72,000 cattle,

undefined 61,000 donkeys

undefined and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

undefined The half share of those who fought in the battle was:337,500 sheep,

undefined of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;

undefined 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

undefined 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

undefined 16,000 people, of which the tribute for the Lord was 32.

undefined Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

undefined The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men—

undefined the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep,

undefined 36,000 cattle,

undefined 30,500 donkeys

undefined and 16,000 people.

undefined From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

undefined Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses

undefined and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.

undefined So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

undefined Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles.

undefined All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.

undefined Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.

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

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