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Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war. They will go out against the Midianites, to inflict the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. 4 You are to send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe—twelve thousand men armed for battle from the thousands of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe. They went with Phineas son of Eleazar, the priest, who was carrying the sacred articles of the sanctuary, and the trumpets for signalling.
7 They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 Along with those slain by them were the five kings of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites took the Midian women and their children captive, and they also took all their cattle, flocks, and goods as plunder. 10 Then they burned all the cities of the Midianites, as well as their encampments, 11 but they carried off all the plunder and spoils, including the people and the animals.
12 Then they brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the community of the Israelites at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the battle.
15 “Have you spared the lives of all the women?” he asked them. 16 “Yet these women are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that the plague struck the Lord’s community. 17 Now kill all the male children, and kill every woman who has had sexual relations with a man, 18 but keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not had sexual relations with a man.”
19 “All of you who have killed a person or touched a dead body are to remain outside the camp seven days. You are to purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 Purify every garment, as well as everything made of leather, everything made of goat hair, and every article of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the requirement of the law that the Lord commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— 23 everything that can withstand fire—you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the purification water. Anything that cannot withstand fire must be passed through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. 27 Then divide the plunder between the soldiers who went out to battle and the entire community. 28 Set aside a tribute for the Lord from what belongs to the fighting men who fought in the battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats. 29 Take the tribute from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the Lord. 30 From the Israelites’ half you are to take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other livestock, and give them to the Levites who performed the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
32 The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers had taken totalled:
675,000 sheep,
33 72,000 cattle,
34 61,000 donkeys,
35 and 32,000 persons in all, including women who had not had sexual relations with a man.
36 The half share portion for those who had gone out to war numbered:
337,500 sheep and goats,
37 and the Lord’s tribute was 675;
38 36,000 cattle,
of which the Lord’s tribute was 72;
39 30,500 donkeys,
of which the Lord’s tribute was 61;
40 and 16,000 people,
of which the Lord’s tribute was 32 persons.
41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses separated from that of the fighting men— 43 the community’s half was:
337,500 sheep and goats,
44 36,000 cattle,
45 30,500 donkeys,
46 and 16,000 people.
47 From this half, the Israelites’ share, Moses took one of every fifty, selected from both people and animals, and gave them to the Levites who had charge of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded him.
48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, approached Moses, 49 and they said to him, “Your servants have taken a count of the soldiers under our command, and not one man is missing. 50 So we have brought an offering to the Lord from what each of us acquired—articles of gold, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”
51 Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the crafted articles. 52 All the gold of the contribution that they offered to the Lord from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds weighed 16,750 shekels. 53 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.