Numbers 31
New King James Version
Vengeance on the Midianites
31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 (A)“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall (B)be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on (C)Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”
5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and (D)the signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and (E)they killed all the (F)males. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—(G)Evi, Rekem, (H)Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. (I)Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. 11 And (J)they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.
Return from the War
12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.
15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept (K)all the women alive? 16 Look, (L)these women caused the children of Israel, through the (M)counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and (N)there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore, (O)kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive (P)for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. 19 And as for you, (Q)remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and (R)whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the [a]ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified (S)with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. 24 (T)And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”
Division of the Plunder
25 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 26 “Count up the plunder that was [b]taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; 27 and (U)divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 And levy a [c]tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: (V)one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep; 29 take it from their half, and (W)give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord. 30 And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take (X)one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites (Y)who [d]keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately. 36 And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; 37 and the Lord’s [e]tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. 38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two. 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one. 40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 So Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, (Z)as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought— 43 now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand persons— 47 and (AA)from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
48 Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; 49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, (AB)to make [f]atonement for ourselves before the Lord.” 51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments. 52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (AC)(The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting (AD)as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Footnotes
- Numbers 31:21 statute
- Numbers 31:26 captured
- Numbers 31:28 tax
- Numbers 31:30 perform the service
- Numbers 31:37 tax
- Numbers 31:50 Lit. covering
Okubala 31
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
Okutta Abamidiyaani
31 Mukama Katonda n’agamba Musa nti, 2 (A)“Woolera eggwanga ly’abaana ba Isirayiri ku Bamidiyaani, oluvannyuma olyoke ogende abantu bo bonna gye balaga.”
3 (B)Awo Musa n’agamba abantu nti, “Muyungule okuva mu mmwe abasajja abalwanyi mubawe ebyokulwanyisa, beetegekere olutalo, batabaale Midiyaani bawoolere eggwanga lya Mukama Katonda ku Midiyaani. 4 Mu buli kika kya Isirayiri mujja kuggyamu abasajja lukumi abanaagenda okutabaala.” 5 Awo ne baleeta okuva ku nkumi za Isirayiri abasajja lukumi okuva mu buli kika be balwanyi omutwalo gumu mu enkumi bbiri abeetegekera olutabaalo. 6 (C)Musa n’abasindika mu lutalo, abalwanyi lukumi nga bava mu buli kika; ne Finekaasi mutabani wa Eriyazaali kabona, n’ebintu by’omu watukuvu n’amakondeere ag’okulwana ng’ali nago.
7 (D)Ne batabaala Midiyaani nga Mukama Katonda bwe yalagira Musa, ne batta buli musajja. 8 (E)Mu battibwa mwe mwagendera ne bakabaka ba Midiyaani bano abataano: Evi, ne Lekemu, ne Zuuli, ne Kuula, ne Leeba. Balamu mutabani wa Byoli naye baamuttiramu n’ekitala. 9 Abaana ba Isirayiri ne bawamba abakazi ba Midiyaani n’abaana baabwe, ne banyaga ente n’ebisibo byabwe n’ebintu ebirala bingi. 10 (F)Baayokya ebibuga by’Abamidiyaani mwe baabeeranga, awamu n’ensiisira zaabwe zonna. 11 (G)Baatwala omunyago gwonna, nga mulimu n’abantu n’ensolo; 12 (H)ne babireeta awali Musa ne Eriyazaali kabona n’ekibiina kyonna eky’abaana ba Isirayiri mu lusiisira lwabwe olwali mu nsenyi za Mowaabu eziri ku mugga Yoludaani okutunuulira emitala wa Yeriko.
13 Musa ne Eriyazaali kabona n’abakulembeze mu kibiina bonna ne bagenda okusisinkana abatabaazi ebweru w’olusiisira. 14 (I)Musa n’anyiigira abakulembeze b’eggye, abaduumizi b’ebikumi n’abaduumizi b’enkumi abaakomawo nga bava mu lutabaalo.
15 Musa n’ababuuza nti, “Abakazi bonna temubasse? 16 (J)Mumanyi nga be baaleetera abaana ba Isirayiri okujeemera Mukama Katonda e Peoli bwe baakolera ku magezi Balamu ge yabawanga, kawumpuli amale alumbe ekibiina kya Mukama. 17 (K)Kale nno mutte buli mulenzi mu baana abato, era mutte na buli mukazi eyali yeegasseeko n’omusajja. 18 Naye abawala abato abatamanyanga musajja, mubeeterekere.
19 (L)“Musiisire ebweru w’olusiisira okumala ennaku musanvu. Buli omu mu mmwe eyatta omuntu yenna, n’oyo eyakwatako ku gwe basse, mwetukuze awamu n’abanyage bammwe ku lunaku olwokusatu ne ku lunaku olw’omusanvu. 20 (M)Mutukuze buli kyambalo ne buli kintu ekyakolebwa mu maliba, oba mu bwoya bw’embuzi oba mu muti.”
21 Awo Eriyazaali kabona n’agamba abasajja abaatabaala nti, “Lino lye tteeka Mukama Katonda ly’alagidde Musa: 22 (N)Zaabu, ne ffeeza, n’ekikomo, n’ekyuma, n’ebbaati, n’essasi 23 (O)n’ekirala kyonna ekigumira omuliro mukiyise mu muliro kiryoke kibeere ekirongoofu. Naye era kisaana okulongoosebwa n’amazzi agalongoosa. Ebyo byonna ebitaasobole kuyita mu muliro biyisibwe mu mazzi ago. 24 (P)Ku lunaku olw’omusanvu mwozanga engoye zammwe, mulyoke mubeere abalongoofu. Ebyo nga biwedde mulyoke muyingire mu lusiisira.”
Okugabana Omunyago
25 Mukama Katonda n’agamba Musa nti, 26 (Q)“Ggwe ne Eriyazaali kabona, n’abakulembeze b’empya ez’omu kibiina mubale obungi bw’omunyago ogwaleetebwa omuli abantu n’ebisolo. 27 (R)Omunyago gugabanyeemu mu bitundu bibiri: eky’abatabaazi abaalwana olutalo n’ekyabaasigala mu kibiina. 28 (S)Munaggya ku basajja abaatabaala ekitundu kimu ku buli bikumi bitaano, nga gwe musolo gwa Mukama Katonda, oba bantu, oba nte, oba ndogoyi, oba ndiga oba mbuzi. 29 Omusolo ogwo mujja kuguggya ku kitundu ekya wakati ekinaagabanibwa abatabaazi mukiwe Eriyazaali kabona nga kye kitundu kya Mukama Katonda. 30 (T)Ku munyago gw’abaana ba Isirayiri abasigaddewo munaggyako ekitundu kimu ku bitundu ataano, oba bantu, oba nte, oba ndogoyi, oba ndiga oba mbuzi oba ensolo endala zonna. Ebyo mujja kubiwa Abaleevi, abalabirira Weema ya Mukama.” 31 Bwe batyo Musa ne Eriyazaali bwe baakola, nga Mukama Katonda bwe yalagira Musa.
32 Omunyago ogwasigalawo abatabaazi gwe beetwalira gwali bwe guti: Endiga, emitwalo nkaaga mu musanvu mu enkumi ttaano (675,000). 33 Ente, emitwalo musanvu mu enkumi bbiri (72,000). 34 Endogoyi, emitwalo mukaaga mu lukumi (61,000), 35 n’abakazi abatamanyangako basajja emitwalo esatu mu enkumi bbiri (32,000).
36 Ekitundu eky’omu makkati eky’omunyago eky’abo abaatabaala kyali bwe kiti:
Endiga, obusiriivu busatu mu emitwalo esatu mu kasanvu mu bitaano (337,500);
37 (U)ku ezo kwaliko ez’omusolo gwa Mukama Katonda lukaaga mu nsavu mu ttaano (675).
38 Ente, emitwalo esatu mu kakaaga (36,000), ng’ez’omusolo gwa Mukama Katonda nsanvu mu bbiri (72).
39 Endogoyi, emitwalo esatu mu bitaano (30,500), ng’ez’omusolo gwa Mukama Katonda zaali nkaaga mu emu (61).
40 Abantu omutwalo gumu mu kakaaga (16,000); ng’ab’omusolo gwa Mukama Katonda baali amakumi asatu mu babiri (32).
41 (V)Omusolo gwa Mukama, Musa n’aguwa Eriyazaali kabona, nga Mukama Katonda bwe yalagira Musa.
42 Ekitundu eky’omu makkati eky’omunyago ogwaweebwa abaana ba Isirayiri nga Musa amaze okuggyako ogw’abatabaazi abaalwana mu lutalo, 43 ekitundu ekyo kyali bwe kiti: Endiga, emitwalo asatu mu esatu mu bitaano (337,500); 44 Ente, emitwalo esatu mu kakaaga (36,000); 45 Endogoyi, emitwalo esatu mu bitaano (30,500); 46 n’abantu omutwalo gumu mu kakaaga (16,000). 47 Ekitundu eky’omugabo eky’abaana ba Isirayiri, Musa n’aggyako ekitundu kimu ku buli bitundu ataano byombi eby’abantu n’eby’ebisolo, n’abiwa Abaleevi abaalabiriranga Weema ya Mukama, nga Mukama bwe yalagira Musa.
Ebiweebwayo by’Abakulembeze b’Eggye
48 Awo abakulembeze b’ebibinja mu ggye abaaduumiranga ebikumi n’abaaduumiranga enkumi, ne bajja eri Musa, 49 (W)ne bamugamba nti, “Abaweereza bo tubaze abatabaazi bonna be tutwala, nga tewaliiwo n’omu abulawo. 50 (X)Noolwekyo tuleetedde Mukama Katonda ekiweebwayo nga kya bintu ebya zaabu buli omu ku ffe bye yanyaga; mwe muli ebikomo eby’oku mikono, emikuufu egy’oku magulu, empeta z’oku ngalo n’empeta ez’omu matu n’obutiiti obw’omu bulago, twetangiririre mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda.”
51 Musa ne Eriyazaali kabona, ne bakkiriza ebyaleetebwa omwali zaabu n’ebyomuwendo ebirala byonna. 52 Zaabu yenna abaduumizi b’enkumi, n’abaduumizi b’ebikumi gwe baleeta eri Musa ne Eriyazaali kabona, okuwaayo eri Mukama Katonda, yali apima obuzito bwa kilo kikumi mu kyenda. 53 (Y)Buli mutabaazi yali yeenyagiddeyo ebintu ebibye ku bubwe. 54 (Z)Awo Musa ne Eriyazaali kabona ne baddira zaabu eyaleetebwa abaduumizi b’enkumi n’abaduumizi b’ebikumi, ne bamuleeta mu Weema ya Mukama ey’Okukuŋŋaanirangamu, okubeeranga ekijjukizo eri abaana ba Isirayiri mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda.
Numbers 31
English Standard Version
Vengeance on Midian
31 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 (A)“Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall (B)be gathered to your people.” 3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian. 4 You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” 5 So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand (C)armed for war. 6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and (D)the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7 They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and (E)killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, (F)Evi, Rekem, (G)Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed (H)Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and they took as plunder all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. 10 All their cities in the places where they lived, and all their (I)encampments, they burned with fire, 11 (J)and took all the spoil and all the plunder, both of man and of beast. 12 Then they brought the captives and the plunder and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on (K)the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. 14 And Moses was angry with (L)the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 15 Moses said to them, “Have you (M)let all the women live? 16 Behold, (N)these, (O)on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of (P)Peor, and so (Q)the plague came among the congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore, (R)kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18 But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him (S)keep alive for yourselves. 19 (T)Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and (U)whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who had gone to battle: “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded Moses: 22 only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified (V)with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. 24 You must (W)wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. And afterward you may come into the camp.”
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Take the count of the plunder that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation, 27 and (X)divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. 28 And levy for the Lord a tribute from the men of war who went out to battle, (Y)one out of five hundred, of the people and of the oxen and of the donkeys and of the flocks. 29 Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the Lord. 30 And from the people of Israel's half you shall take (Z)one drawn out of every fifty, of the people, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites (AA)who keep guard over the tabernacle of the Lord.” 31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 Now the plunder remaining of the spoil that the army took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 persons in all, women who had not known man by lying with him. 36 And the half, the portion of those who had gone out in the army, numbered 337,500 sheep, 37 and (AB)the Lord's tribute of sheep was 675. 38 The cattle were 36,000, of which the Lord's tribute was 72. 39 The donkeys were 30,500, of which the Lord's tribute was 61. 40 The persons were 16,000, of which the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. 41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the contribution for the Lord, to Eleazar the priest, (AC)as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 From the people of Israel's half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the army— 43 now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 and 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 persons— 47 (AD)from the people of Israel's half Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who kept guard over the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
48 Then (AE)the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses 49 and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. 50 And we have brought the Lord's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, (AF)to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.” 51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. 52 And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.[a] 53 (AG)(The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, (AH)as a memorial for the people of Israel before the Lord.
Footnotes
- Numbers 31:52 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
