Numbers 31
31Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H5592"On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors."H5358H5360H1121H3478H4084H310H622H59713So Moses said to the people, "Choose some men, and arm them to fight the LORD's war of revenge against Midian.H4872H1696H5971H559H2502H582H6635H4080H5414H5360H3068H40804From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle."H4294H4294H505H505H4294H3478H7971H66355So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle.H4560H505H3478H505H4294H8147H6240H505H2502H66356Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge.H4872H7971H6635H505H4294H6372H1121H499H3548H6635H6944H3627H2689H8643H30277They attacked Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men.H6633H4080H3068H6680H4872H2026H21458All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.H2026H4428H4080H5921H2491H189H7552H6698H2354H7254H2568H4428H4080H1109H1121H1160H2026H27199Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder.H1121H3478H802H4080H7617H2945H962H929H4735H242810They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived.H8313H5892H4186H2918H78411After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals,H3947H7998H4455H120H92912they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.H935H7628H4455H7998H4872H499H3548H5712H1121H3478H4264H6160H4124H3383H340513Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.H4872H499H3548H5387H5712H3318H7125H2351H426414But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle.H4872H7107H6485H2428H8269H505H8269H3967H935H6635H442115"Why have you let all the women live?" he demanded.H4872H559H2421H5347H242116"These are the very ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD's people.H2007H1961H1121H3478H1697H1109H4560H4604H3068H1697H6465H4046H5712H306817So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man.H2026H2145H2945H2026H802H3045H376H4904H214518Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.H802H2945H3045H2145H4904H242119And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days.H2583H2351H4264H7651H3117H2026H5315H5060H2491H2398H7628H7992H3117H7637H311720Purify all your clothing, too, and everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood."H2398H899H3627H5785H4639H5795H3627H608621Then Eleazar the priest said to the men who were in the battle, "The LORD has given Moses this legal requirement.H499H3548H559H582H6635H935H4421H2708H8451H3068H6680H487222Anything made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead—H2091H3701H5178H1270H913H577723that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone.H1697H935H784H5674H784H2891H2398H4325H5079H935H784H5674H432524On the seventh day you must wash your clothes and be purified. Then you may return to the camp."H3526H899H7637H3117H2891H310H935H426425And the LORD said to Moses,H3068H559H4872H55926"You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of each tribe are to make a list of all the plunder taken in the battle, including the people and animals.H5375H7218H4455H7628H120H929H499H3548H7218H1H571227Then divide the plunder into two parts, and give half to the men who fought the battle and half to the rest of the people.H2673H4455H2673H8610H4421H3318H6635H571228From the army's portion, first give the LORD his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.H7311H4371H3068H582H4421H3318H6635H259H5315H2568H3967H120H1241H2543H662929Give this share of the army's half to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.H3947H4276H5414H499H3548H8641H306830From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the LORD's Tabernacle."H1121H3478H4276H3947H259H270H2572H120H1241H2543H6629H929H5414H3881H8104H4931H4908H306831So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.H4872H499H3548H6213H3068H6680H487232The plunder remaining from everything the fighting men had taken totaled 675,000 sheep and goats,H4455H3499H957H5971H6635H962H8337H3967H505H7657H505H2568H505H66293372,000 cattle,H7657H8147H505H12413461,000 donkeys,H8346H259H505H254335and 32,000 virgin girls.H7970H8147H505H5315H120H3605H802H3045H2145H490436Half of the plunder was given to the fighting men. It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats,H4275H2506H3318H6635H4557H7969H3967H505H7651H7970H505H2568H3967H662937of which 675 were the LORD's share;H3068H4371H6629H8337H3967H7657H25683836,000 cattle, of which 72 were the LORD's share;H1241H7970H8337H505H3068H4371H7657H81473930,500 donkeys, of which 61 were the LORD's share;H2543H7970H505H2568H3967H3068H4371H8346H25940and 16,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 were the LORD's share.H120H5315H8337H6240H505H3068H4371H7970H8147H531541Moses gave all the LORD's share to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had directed him.H4872H5414H4371H3068H8641H499H3548H3068H6680H487242Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men.H1121H3478H4276H4872H2673H582H663343It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats,H4275H5712H7969H3967H505H7970H505H7651H505H2568H3967H4480H66294436,000 cattle,H7970H8337H505H12414530,500 donkeys,H7970H505H2543H2568H396746and 16,000 virgin girls.H8337H6240H505H5315H12047From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the LORD's Tabernacle. All this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.H1121H3478H4276H4872H3947H259H270H2572H120H929H5414H3881H8104H4931H4908H3068H3068H6680H487248Then all the generals and captains came to MosesH6485H505H6635H8269H505H8269H3967H7126H487249and said, "We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing!H559H4872H5650H5375H7218H582H4421H3027H6485H37650So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the LORD from our share of the plunder—armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the LORD and make us right with him."H7126H7133H3068H376H4672H3627H2091H685H6781H2885H5694H3558H3722H5315H6440H306851So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from all the military commanders—all kinds of jewelry and crafted objects.H4872H499H3548H3947H2091H4639H362752In all, the gold that the generals and captains presented as a gift to the LORD weighed about 420 pounds.H2091H8641H7311H3068H8269H505H8269H3967H8337H6240H505H7651H3967H2572H825553All the fighting men had taken some of the plunder for themselves.H582H6635H962H37654So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the LORD that the people of Israel belong to him.H4872H499H3548H3947H2091H8269H505H3967H935H168H4150H2146H1121H3478H6440H3068
Dublin, OH
who had returned from the battle.H4872
