Numbers 31
New Life Version
War against Midian
31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Punish the Midianites for the people of Israel. After that you will be buried with your people.” 3 Then Moses said to the people, “Take men from among you and make them ready for war against Midian. They will punish Midian for the Lord. 4 Send to the war 1,000 men from each of all the family groups of Israel.” 5 So 1,000 men came from each of the family groups of the thousands of Israel. There were 12,000 ready for war. 6 Moses sent them, 1,000 from each family group, to the war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the religious leader went to the war with them. In his hand were the holy objects and the horns for blowing the sound of coming danger. 7 So the men made war against Midian, just as the Lord had told Moses, and they killed every male. 8 They killed the five kings of Midian with the sword also, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 The people of Israel took the women of Midian and their little ones, and all their cattle, all their flocks, and all the good things that belonged to them. 10 Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their tents. 11 They took all that was left of both man and animal. 12 And they brought the people they had taken and the animals and whatever belonged to them to Moses, and to Eleazar the religious leader, and to the people of Israel. Their tents were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
13 Moses and Eleazar the religious leader and all the leaders of the people went out from the tents to meet them. 14 Moses was angry with the leaders of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, who had fought in the war. 15 He said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? 16 See, these women listened to Balaam and caused the people of Israel to sin against the Lord in what happened at Peor. So the very bad disease came to the people of the Lord. 17 Now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had a man. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the girls who have not had a man. 19 Stay away from the tents for seven days. If you have killed any person or have touched any dead body, you must make yourself and those you have taken clean, on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 You must clean every piece of clothing, everything made of leather, everything made of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the religious leader said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the Law which the Lord has told Moses. 22 Take the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead, 23 everything that can last through fire. Pass it through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must be made pure with the water for cleaning. Whatever cannot last through fire you must pass through the water. 24 You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. Then you may come among the tents.”
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the religious leader and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people should number all that was taken from the battle, both of man and animal. 27 Divide what was taken between the men of war who went to battle and all the people. 28 Then take a tax for the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle. Take one out of 500 of the persons and the cattle and the donkeys and the sheep. 29 Take this from their half and give it to Eleazar the religious leader, as a gift to the Lord. 30 From the half belonging to the people of Israel, take one out of every fifty of the persons and cattle and donkeys and sheep and all the animals. Give them to the Levites who take care of the meeting tent of the Lord.” 31 Moses and Eleazar the religious leader did just as the Lord had told Moses.
32 What was left from that which the men of war had taken was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 persons in all, of women who had never had a man. 36 The half taken by those who went out to war was 337,500 sheep. 37 The Lord’s tax was 675 sheep. 38 There were 36,000 cattle, from which the Lord’s tax was seventy-two. 39 There were 30,500 donkeys, from which the Lord’s tax was sixty-one. 40 And there were 16,000 persons, from whom the Lord’s tax was thirty-two. 41 Moses gave the tax, which was the Lord’s gift, to Eleazar the religious leader, just as the Lord had told Moses.
42 Moses divided the people of Israel’s half from the men who had gone to war. 43 The people’s half was 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 persons. 47 Moses took one out of every fifty of both man and animal from the people of Israel’s half. He gave them to the Levites, who took care of the meeting tent of the Lord, just as the Lord had told Moses.
48 Then the leaders of the thousands of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, came to Moses. 49 They said to him, “Your servants have numbered the men of war whom we lead. Not one man is missing from us. 50 We have brought as a gift to the Lord what each man found, objects of gold, things to be worn on the arms and fingers and ears and necks. They are to pay for our sins before the Lord.” 51 Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from them, all the objects made of beaten gold. 52 All the gold of the gift they gave to the Lord from the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds was worth 16,750 gold pieces. 53 For the men of war had taken things from the battle, every man for himself. 54 So Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from the heads of thousands and of hundreds. They brought it to the meeting tent so that the people of Israel would be remembered before the Lord.
Numbers 31
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Lord Commands Israel to Defeat Midian
31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors ⌞in death⌟.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Some of your men must get ready to go to war against the Midianites. The Lord will use them to get even with Midian. 4 Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.”
5 So 1,000 men from each tribe were supplied from the divisions of Israel—12,000 men ready for war. 6 Then Moses sent them off to war, 1,000 men from each tribe along with Phinehas, son of the priest Eleazar. Phinehas took with him the holy articles and the trumpets for the fanfare.
7 They went to war against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among those killed were the five kings of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam, son of Beor, in battle. 9 The Israelites took the Midianite women and children as prisoners of war. They also took all their animals, their livestock, and their valuables as loot. 10 They burned all the cities where the Midianites lived and all their settlements. 11 Then they took everything as loot, including all the people and animals, 12 and brought the prisoners of war, the loot, and everything to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the community of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.
13 Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went outside the camp to meet them. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of the companies and battalions, who were returning from battle.
15 “Why did you let all the women live?” he asked them. 16 “Remember, they were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the incident that took place at Peor. The Lord’s community experienced a plague at that time. 17 So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man. 18 But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man.
19 “Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin. 20 Do the same for all the clothes and everything made of leather, goats’ hair, or wood.”
21 Then the priest Eleazar said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what the Lord’s teachings told Moses to do: 22 Any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead— 23 anything that won’t burn—must be put through fire in order to make it clean.[a] Then it must also be put through the ritual water in order to take away its sin. Whatever might burn must ⌞only⌟ be put through the ritual 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, the priest Eleazar, and the heads of the families of the community need to count all the loot, including the people and animals you captured. 27 Divide the loot between the soldiers who served in the war and the rest of the community. 28 Collect a tax for the Lord. From the soldiers who served in the war collect one out of every 500 things. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 29 Collect all these things from the soldiers’ half of the loot, and give them to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the Lord. 30 From the Israelites’ half of the loot, collect one out of every 50 things. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and every other kind of animal. Give them to the Levites who are in charge of the work done at the Lord’s tent.” 31 Moses and the priest Eleazar did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 This is the loot that was left from everything that the troops took: 675,000 sheep and goats, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, and 35 32,000 women who had never gone to bed with a man.
36 Half of it went to the soldiers who served in the war. Of the 337,500 sheep and goats they received, 37 675 went to the Lord as taxes. 38 Of the 36,000 cattle they received, 72 went to the Lord as taxes. 39 Of the 30,500 donkeys they received, 61 went to the Lord as taxes. 40 Of the 16,000 people they received, 32 went to the Lord as taxes.
41 Moses gave the Lord’s taxes to the priest Eleazar, as the Lord had commanded him.
42 Moses took the Israelites’ half of the loot from the soldiers. 43 The community received 337,500 sheep and goats, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 people.
47 From the Israelites’ half Moses collected one out of every 50 things, including people and animals, as the Lord commanded him. Then he gave all this to the Levites who were in charge of the work done at the Lord’s tent.
48 Then the officers from the military divisions, the commanders of the companies and battalions of men, came to Moses. 49 They said to him, “Sir, we have counted all the soldiers under our command, and not one of them is missing. 50 So we have brought as gifts to the Lord the gold jewelry that each of us found—arm bands, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and pendants. We offer them to make peace with the Lord.”
51 Moses and the priest Eleazar took all the hand-crafted gold articles from them. 52 All the gold contributed to the Lord by the commanders weighed about 420 pounds. 53 Each soldier kept his own loot. 54 Moses and the priest Eleazar took the gold from the commanders and brought it into the Lord’s presence at the tent of meeting as a reminder to the Israelites.
Footnotes
- 31:23 “Clean ” refers to anything that is presentable to God.
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
