The War against the Midianites
Numbers 31, verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 31, verse 2. “Exact vengeance from the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be added to your people.” Numbers 31, verse 3. So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of your men to stand in battle array before the Lord against Midian, to repay vengeance from the Lord on Midian. Numbers 31, verse 4. From all the tribes of Israel you shall send a thousand from each tribe to stand in battle array.” Numbers 31, verse 5. So from the thousands of Israel they counted a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for the battle line. Numbers 31, verse 6. Then Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe with their army, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest with the holy vessels and the trumpets for signaling in his hands. Numbers 31, verse 7. So they arrayed themselves in battle against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male. Numbers 31, verse 8. They killed the kings of Midian, together with their slain people: Evi, Zur, Rekem, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword, along with their slain people. Numbers 31, verse 9. They also took as plunder the women of Midian, with their households, their cattle, all their possessions; and they plundered their army. Numbers 31, verse 10. They also set on fire all the cities where they dwelt and all their unwalled villages. Numbers 31, verse 11. They took as well all their booty and spoils from man to cattle. Numbers 31, verse 12. Then they brought the captives, the spoils, and the booty to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the Araboth of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
The Winning Army Returns
Numbers 31, verse 13. Then Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the rulers of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. Numbers 31, verse 14. But Moses was angry with the overseers of the army, with the captains over thousands and rulers over hundreds, who were coming from the battle line of the war. Numbers 31, verse 15. So Moses said to them, “Why did you take every female alive? Numbers 31, verse 16. For on account of Balaam's counsel, they were with the sons of Israel and caused them to depart from and despise the Lord's word in the incident at Peor, when there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Numbers 31, verse 17. Now therefore, kill every male among all the little ones, and every woman who slept with a man. Numbers 31, verse 18. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not slept with a man. Numbers 31, verse 19. But you remain outside the camp seven days, and everyone who killed or touched someone killed, both you and your captives, shall be purified on the third day and the seventh day. Numbers 31, verse 20. Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.” Numbers 31, verse 21. Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who came from the battle lines of the war, “This is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord commanded Moses: Numbers 31, verse 22. Besides the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, the lead, and the tin, Numbers 31, verse 23. everything that can pass through fire shall be purified; otherwise, it shall be purified with the water of purification. Therefore whatever cannot pass through the fire shall pass through the water. Numbers 31, verse 24. You shall also wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”
Division of the Spoils
Numbers 31, verse 25. Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 31, verse 26. “Take the sum of the spoils of the captives, from man to cattle, you and Eleazar the priest and the rulers of the families in the congregation; Numbers 31, verse 27. and divide the spoils between the warriors who went out into the battle lines and all the congregation. Numbers 31, verse 28. And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to the battle lines, one soul of every five hundred men, and of the cattle, the oxen, the sheep, and the goats. Numbers 31, verse 29. Then you shall take their tribute and give it to Eleazar the priest as a firstfruits to the Lord. Numbers 31, verse 30. But from the children of Israel's half you shall take one of every fifty of the men, the oxen, the sheep, the donkeys, and from all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep charge in the tabernacle of the Lord.” Numbers 31, verse 31. So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. Numbers 31, verse 32. The booty remaining from the plunder which the men of war took was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, Numbers 31, verse 33. seventy-two thousand oxen, Numbers 31, verse 34. sixty-one thousand donkeys, Numbers 31, verse 35. and thirty-two thousand human souls, that is, the women who had not slept with a man. Numbers 31, verse 36. And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; Numbers 31, verse 37. and the Lord's tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five. Numbers 31, verse 38. The oxen were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord's tribute was seventy-two. Numbers 31, verse 39. The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord's tribute was sixty-one. Numbers 31, verse 40. The human souls were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord's tribute was thirty-two souls. Numbers 31, verse 41. So Moses gave the Lord's tribute, God's choice portion, to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses. Numbers 31, verse 42. Then from the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men of war— Numbers 31, verse 43. that is, the half belonging to the congregation, was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, Numbers 31, verse 44. thirty-six thousand oxen, Numbers 31, verse 45. thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, Numbers 31, verse 46. and sixteen thousand human souls— Numbers 31, verse 47. and from the children of Israel's half Moses took one of every fifty, from men to cattle, and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, in the manner the Lord commanded Moses. Numbers 31, verse 48. Then all those established in positions as commanders in the army, the captains over thousands and rulers over hundreds, came near to Moses; Numbers 31, verse 49. and they said to Moses, “Your servants took the sum of the men of war with us, and not a man of us is missing. Numbers 31, verse 50. Therefore we have brought a gift to the Lord, what every man found of articles of gold: bracelets, rings, armlets, and hair-clasps, to make atonement for us before the Lord.” Numbers 31, verse 51. So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, every crafted article. Numbers 31, verse 52. So every choice portion of gold which they dedicated to the Lord, from the captains over thousands and rulers over hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. Numbers 31, verse 53. (Now each of the men of war had taken plunder for himself.) Numbers 31, verse 54. So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains over thousands and rulers over hundreds and brought these into the tabernacle of testimony, as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.