Numbers 31

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”Cross-references: Gen 15:15 · Gen 25:1 · Gen 25:8 · Gen 25:17 · Ex 2:16 · Num 20:24 · +21 more

3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.Cross-references: Ex 17:9 · Ex 17:16 · Lev 26:25 · Num 25:11 · Num 25:13 · Judg 5:2 · +5 more

4You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”Cross-references: Lev 26:8 · Judg 7:2 · 1Sam 14:6

5So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

6Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with 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.Cross-references: Ex 25:9 · Num 10:8 · Num 14:44 · Num 25:7 · Num 33:20 · Josh 6:4 · +7 more

7They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.Cross-references: Deut 20:13 · Judg 6:1 · Judg 6:33 · Judg 21:11 · 1Sam 27:9 · 1Ki 11:15

8They 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.Cross-references: Num 22:4 · Num 22:10 · Num 24:25 · Num 25:15 · Num 25:18 · Josh 13:21 · +7 more

9The 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.Cross-references: Num 31:15 · Deut 20:14 · 2Chr 28:5 · 2Chr 28:8

10All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.Cross-references: Gen 25:16 · Josh 6:24 · 1Sam 30:1 · 1Ki 9:16 · Isa 1:7 · Rev 18:8

11They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.Cross-references: Deut 20:14 · Josh 8:2

12They brought the captives with 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.Cross-references: Num 22:1

13Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.Cross-references: Gen 14:17 · Num 5:2 · Num 19:11 · Num 31:12 · Num 31:22 · 1Sam 15:12 · +1 more

14Moses 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.Cross-references: Ex 32:19 · Ex 32:22 · Lev 10:16 · Num 12:3 · Num 31:48 · 1Sam 15:13 · +3 more

15Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?Cross-references: Deut 2:34 · Deut 20:13 · Deut 20:16 · Josh 6:21 · Josh 8:25 · Josh 10:40 · +5 more

16Behold, 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.Cross-references: Num 24:14 · Num 25:1 · Num 25:18 · Deut 4:3 · Josh 22:17 · Prov 23:27 · +3 more

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.Cross-references: Deut 7:2 · Deut 20:16 · Judg 21:11

18But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.Cross-references: Lev 25:44 · Deut 20:14 · Deut 21:10 · 2Chr 28:8 · Isa 14:2

19“Encamp outside of the camp for 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.Cross-references: Num 5:2 · Num 19:11 · 1Chr 22:8

20You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”Cross-references: Gen 35:2 · Ex 19:10 · Num 19:14 · Num 19:22

21Eleazar 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.Cross-references: Num 30:16

22However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23everything 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.Cross-references: Lev 11:32 · Lev 15:17 · Num 8:7 · Num 19:9 · Num 19:17 · Isa 43:2 · +10 more

24You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”Cross-references: Lev 11:25 · Lev 14:9 · Lev 15:13 · Num 19:19

25Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

26“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;

27and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.Cross-references: Josh 22:8 · 1Sam 30:4 · 1Sam 30:24 · Ps 68:12

28Levy 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.Cross-references: Gen 14:20 · Num 18:21 · Num 18:26 · Num 31:30 · Num 31:47 · Josh 6:19 · +9 more

29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.Cross-references: Ex 29:27 · Num 18:26 · Deut 12:12 · Deut 12:19

30Of 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.”Cross-references: Num 3:7 · Num 3:25 · Num 3:31 · Num 3:36 · Num 18:1 · Num 18:23 · +9 more

31Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.

32Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,

33seventy-two thousand head of cattle,

34sixty-one thousand donkeys,

35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.

36The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

37and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.

38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.

39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.

40The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

41Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.Cross-references: Num 5:9 · Num 18:8 · Num 18:19 · Num 31:29 · Matt 10:10 · 1Cor 9:10 · +4 more

42Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought

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

44thirty-six thousand head of cattle,

45thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

46and sixteen thousand persons),

47even 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.Cross-references: Num 18:21 · Num 31:30 · Deut 12:17 · Ps 134:1 · Isa 56:10 · Luke 10:1 · +1 more

48The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.

49They 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.Cross-references: 1Sam 30:18 · Ps 72:14 · John 18:9

50We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”Cross-references: Ex 30:12 · Ex 30:15 · Lev 17:11 · Ps 107:15 · Ps 107:21 · Ps 116:12 · +1 more

51Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.Cross-references: Num 7:2

52All 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.

53The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.Cross-references: Num 31:32 · Deut 20:14

54Moses 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.Cross-references: Ex 30:16 · Num 16:40 · Josh 4:7 · Ps 18:49 · Ps 103:1 · Ps 115:1 · +4 more