Numbers 31
1And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
2Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shall you be gathered unto your people.
3And Moses spoke unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.
4Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall you send to the war.
5So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
8And they slew the kings of Midian, besides the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
10And they burnt all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their encampments, with fire.
11And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of people and of animals.
12And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan near Jericho.
13And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp.
14And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.
15And Moses said unto them, Have you saved all the women alive?
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.
18But all the young girls, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19And you must abide outside the camp seven days: whosoever has killed any person, and whosoever has touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
20And purify all your clothing, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.
21And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war who went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;
22Only the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23Everything that can endure the fire, you shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of purification: and all that cannot endure the fire you shall make go through the water.
24And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean, and afterward you shall come into the camp
25And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
26Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of people and of animals, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one out of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the cattle, and of the donkeys, and of the sheep:
29Take it from their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for a heave offering of the LORD.
30And of the children of Israel's half, you shall take one out of fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all manner of animals, and give them unto the Levites, who have charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.
31And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
32And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33And three score and twelve thousand cattle,
34And three score and one thousand donkeys,
35And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and three score and fifteen.
38And the cattle were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was three score and twelve.
39And the donkeys were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was three score and one.
40And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.
41And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
42And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that fought,
43(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44And thirty and six thousand cattle,
45And thirty thousand donkeys and five hundred,
46And sixteen thousand persons;)
47Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of persons and of animals, and gave them unto the Levites, who have charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
48And the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
49And they said unto Moses, your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our charge, and there lacks not one man of us.
50We have therefore brought an offering for the LORD, what every man has gotten, of ornaments of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make an atonement for ourselves before the LORD.
51And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, even all crafted ornaments.
52And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
Commentaries for Numbers 31:0