Open English Translation NUM Chapter 31

31 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 2 “Avenge the Midyanites for what they did to you Israelis. After that, you’ll go to join your ancestors.”

3 So Mosheh told the people, “Equip some of your men to battle against Midyan to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on them—4 one thousand men from each tribe to go to war.”

5 So a thousand men were conscripted from each tribe—twelve thousand equipped for battle 6 and Mosheh sent them off to war. The priest Pinehas (Eleazar’s son) went with them, taking some sacred objects as well as the signal trumpets. 7 Then they fought Midyan just as Yahweh had commanded Mosheh, and they killed every male. 8 Among them, they killed five Midyan kings: Evi, Rekem, Tsur, Hur, and Reva, in addition to Beor’s son Bileam (Balaam).

9 The Israelis took the Midyan women and children captive, and took all their cattle, sheep and goats, and all their possessions as plunder, 10 then they burnt down all their cities and houses and camps. 11 They took all the spoil and plunder including the people and animals back, 12 and brought it to Mosheh and the priest Eleazar, and to the assembled Israelis who were all still camped on the Moav plains beside the Yarden river opposite Yeriho (Jericho).

13 Mosheh and the priest Eleazar and all the Israeli leaders left the camp to meet them, 14 but Mosheh was angry at the top army leaders who were coming back from the battle. 15 “Why did you allow all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They’re the very ones who did what Bileam (Balaam) suggested to urge the people to be unfaithful to Yahweh at Peor, leading to the plague that struck Yahweh’s people.[ref] 17 So now, kill all the boys plus every woman who’s slept with a man—18 spare only the young, unmarried girls for yourselves.

19 “Then everyone who’s killed someone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day, you all must purify yourselves, and again on the seventh day but this time including your captives. 20 Also, you all must purify all your clothes, plus anything else made of leather or goats’ hair or wood.”

21 Then the priest Eleazar told the warriors who’d gone to battle, “This is what Yahweh has instructed Mosheh: 22 Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, 23 must pass through fire to make it ‘clean’. Nevertheless, it must still be purified with the special purifying water, along with anything that wouldn’t handle the fire. 24 On the seventh day, you all must wash your clothes and then you’ll be ‘clean’ and be allowed to reenter the camp.

25 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 26 “You and the priest Eleazar and the tribal leaders must list all the plunder including both human and animals that were taken captive. 27 Then you must divide it all out equally between the two groups: those who went out to battle, and all the rest of the community. 28 Set aside a tribute for Yahweh from the plunder of the warriors who fought in the battle: one from every five-hundred captive people, and the same from the cattle and donkeys, and from the sheep and goats. 29 Half of that must be given to the priest Eleazar as the contribution to Yahweh. 30 Then from the half of the plunder given to the community, take one from every fifty captive people, and the same from the cattle and donkeys, and from the sheep and goats and other animals. That’s to be given to the Levites because they’re the ones who look after Yahweh’s residence.” 31 So Mosheh and the priest Eleazar did what Yahweh had told them to do.

32 The remaining plunder after the slaughter of the boys and the married women from what the warriors had brought back was: 675,00 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 girls who hadn’t been married. 36 The warriors who’d fought got: 337,500 sheep, 37 less 675 that were given to Yahweh as his tribute. 38 The cattle were 36,000 less 72 for Yahweh. 39 There were 30,500 donkeys less Yahweh’s tribute of sixty-one. 40 The girls and young women were 16,000 less 32 for Yahweh. 41 So Mosheh gave Yahweh’s contribution to the priest Eleazar as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh.

42 The half for the community that Mosheh had divided off from the warriors 43 was: 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 girls who hadn’t been married. 47 From that half for the community, Mosheh took one from every fifty people and animals, and gave it to the Levites who serve in Yahweh’s tent, just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh.

48 Then the top army officers (the commanders over thousands, and the commanders over hundreds), went to Mosheh 49 and informed him, “We, your servants have counted the soldiers who were under us, and none of our men are missing, 50 so we’ve brought an offering to Yahweh: every man who found something gold like an armlet or bracelets, signet ring or earring, or necklaces has donated it to make us right with Yahweh.” 51 So Mosheh and the priest Eleazar took those crafted gold items from them, 52 and the total contribution of gold offered to Yahweh by the commanders of thousands and of hundreds weighed around 190 kilograms. 53 Each of the warriors had taken their own plunder, 54 and Mosheh and the priest Eleazar took the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it to the sacred tent as a memorial for the Israelis in front of Yahweh.