Font Size
Numbers 31:25-32:42
New International Version
Numbers 31:25-32:42
New International Version
Dividing the Spoils
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads(A) of the community are to count all the people(B) and animals that were captured.(C) 27 Divide(D) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord(E) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. 30 From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.(F)” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 The plunder remaining from the spoils(G) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys 35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.
36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was:
337,500 sheep, 37 of which the tribute for the Lord(H) was 675;
38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;
39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;
40 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.
41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part,(I) as the Lord commanded Moses.(J)
42 The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— 43 the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys 46 and 16,000 people. 47 From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.
48 Then the officers(K) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses 49 and said to him, “Your servants have counted(L) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.(M) 50 So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves(N) before the Lord.”
51 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. 52 All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.[a] 53 Each soldier had taken plunder(O) for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting(P) as a memorial(Q) for the Israelites before the Lord.
The Transjordan Tribes
32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,(R) saw that the lands of Jazer(S) and Gilead(T) were suitable for livestock.(U) 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,(V) and said, 3 “Ataroth,(W) Dibon,(X) Jazer,(Y) Nimrah,(Z) Heshbon,(AA) Elealeh,(AB) Sebam,(AC) Nebo(AD) and Beon(AE)— 4 the land the Lord subdued(AF) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,(AG) and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.(AH)”
6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?(AI) 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.(AJ) 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol(AK) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused(AL) that day and he swore this oath:(AM) 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more(AN) when they came up out of Egypt(AO) will see the land I promised on oath(AP) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(AQ)— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’(AR) 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel(AS) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.(AT)
14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.(AU) 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.(AV)”
16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens(AW) here for our livestock(AX) and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle[b] and go ahead of the Israelites(AY) until we have brought them to their place.(AZ) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.(BA) 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance(BB) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”(BC)
20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle(BD) 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him(BE)— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return(BF) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession(BG) before the Lord.(BH)
23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.(BI) 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,(BJ) but do what you have promised.(BK)”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.(BL) 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.(BM) 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight(BN) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
28 Then Moses gave orders about them(BO) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun(BP) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.(BQ) 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,(BR) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.(BS) 30 But if they do not cross over(BT) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.(BU)”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.(BV) 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,(BW) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.(BX)”
33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites,(BY) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh(BZ) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites(CA) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan(CB)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.(CC)
34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,(CD) 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer,(CE) Jogbehah,(CF) 36 Beth Nimrah(CG) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.(CH) 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,(CI) Elealeh(CJ) and Kiriathaim,(CK) 38 as well as Nebo(CL) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.(CM) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Makir(CN) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,(CO) captured it and drove out the Amorites(CP) who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,(CQ) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair,(CR) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.[c](CS) 42 And Nobah captured Kenath(CT) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah(CU) after himself.(CV)
Footnotes
- Numbers 31:52 That is, about 420 pounds or about 190 kilograms
- Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
- Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
Numbers 31:25-32:42
King James Version
Numbers 31:25-32:42
King James Version
25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27 And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28 And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.
30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 And threescore and one thousand asses,
35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37 And the Lord'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord'S tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord'S tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord'S tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46 And sixteen thousand persons;)
47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
49 And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?
8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
10 And the Lord'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.
13 And the Lord'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.
14 And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel.
15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
17 But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,
21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22 And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.
28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
29 And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be our's.
33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36 And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38 And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.
42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.