31
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward thou shalt be gathered to thy people. And Mosheh spake with the people, saying: Arm, of you, men for the host against Midian, to avenge this people of the Lord upon Midian: A thousand of a tribe, a thousand of a tribe, of all the tribes or Israel, shall you send to the host. And from the thousands of Israel there were chosen a thousand of a tribe, twelve thousand armed for the host. And Mosheh sent them one thousand of a tribe to array them, and Phinehas bar Elazar the priest, with the host, and the holy vessels, and the Jubela trumpets in his hand. And the host gathered against Midian, as tile Lord had commanded Mosheh; and they slaughtered every male. But the kings of Midian they killed with their slain, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Chur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, and Bileam bar Beor, they killed with the sword. And the sons of Israel took the women of Midian captives, with their children and all their cattle, and all their flocks and all their goods they despoiled. 10 And all their cities where they dwelt, and their houses of worship, they burned with fire. 11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey of man and of cattle, 12 and brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Mosheh, and to Elazar the priest, and to all the congregation of the Beni Israel, to the camp in the fields of Moab, by the Jordan, over against Jericho.
13 And Mosheh and Elazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went out to meet them, without the camp. 14 But Mosheh was angry with those who had been appointed over the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the battle. 15 And Mosheh said to them, Have you spared every woman? 16 Behold, these it was (who caused) the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Bileam, to do wickedly before the Lord in the matter of Peor, and the plague came upon the congregation of the Lord. 17 But now, slay every male among the children, and every woman who hath known a man you shall slay. 18 But all the females who have not known a man ye may preserve alive unto you. 19 And you, abide without the camp seven days; whoever have destroyed life or touched the dead, sprinkle yourselves on the third day, and on the seventh day yourselves and your captives. 20 And every garment, and whatever is made of skin, and every work of goat’s hair, and every vessel of wood you shall sprinkle.
21 And Elazar the priest said to the men of war who came from the battle, This is the decree of the law which the Lord hath commanded Mosheh: 22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, iron, tin, and lead, 23 everything that can abide in the fire, you shall make to go through fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be sprinkled with the water of sprinkling; and whatever may not abide the fire you shall make to pass through water. 24 And cleanse your garments on the seventh day; purify yourselves, and afterwards come into the camp.
25 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: 26 Take the account of the spoil of the captives, man and beast; thou, Elazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation, 27 And divide the spoil among the men who fought the battle, who went forth in the host, and among all the congregation: 28 And separate a portion before the Lord from (that of) the men who fought the battle, who went forth in the host, one living thing in five hundred, of man and beast, oxen, asses, and sheep. 29 Take it of their half, and give it to Elazar the priest, for a separation before the Lord. 30 And of the half (belonging) to the children of Israel, take one of every fifty, of man, of oxen, sheep, and all cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord. 31 And Mosheh and Elazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
32 And the booty, the rest of the prey which the people who went forth to the war had taken, was, sheep six hundred and seventy-five thousand, 33 oxen seventy-two thousand, 34 asses sixty-one thousand, 35 persons, women who had not known man, every soul thirty-two thousand. 36 And the half portion of the men who had gone out to the war, the number was, sheep three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred; 37 And that which was brought up before the Lord, of the sheep six hundred and seventy-five; 38 And of the thirty-six thousand oxen, the portion brought before the Lord seventy-two. 39 And the asses, thirty thousand five hundred, of which the portion brought before the Lord sixty-one. 40 And the persons sixteen thousand, those of them brought before the Lord thirty-two persons. 41 And Mosheh gave the separation brought up before the Lord to Elazar the priest, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh.
42 And of the children of Israel’s half, which Mosheh divided from (that) of the men who had gone out in the host, 43 And the half part for the congregation as, sheep three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred, 44 oxen thirty-six thousand, 45 and asses thirty thousand five hundred, 46 and persons sixteen thousand: 47 And Mosheh took from the children of Israel’s half one portion of fifty of man and beast, and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh.
48 And they who had been appointed over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came to Mosheh, 49 And said to Mosheh, Thy servants have taken the account of the men who went forth to the war with us, and there is not wanting one man of us. 50 And we bring an oblation before the Lord of what each man hath found, vessels of gold, chains, bracelets, rings, amulets, and brooches, to make atonement for our souls before the Lord. 51 And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold of them, every fabricated vessel. 52 And all the gold of the separation which the captains of thousands and of hundreds separated before the Lord was: sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels; 53 for the men of the host had taken spoil, every man for himself. 54 And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of ordinance, a memorial of the sons of Israel before the Lord.