Division of the Plunder

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation take a count of the spoils [a]that were captured, both of people and of livestock; 27 and (A)divide the spoils between the warriors who went to battle and all the congregation. 28 Also, (B)collect a tribute tax for the Lord from the men of war who went to battle, one [b]in five hundred of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep; 29 take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest, as an [c]offering to the Lord. 30 And from the sons of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn from every fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep, from all the animals; and give them to the Levites who (C)perform the duty of the tabernacle of the Lord.” 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

32 Now the spoils that remained from the plunder which the [d]men of war had plundered was 675,000 sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and of captive people, of the women who had not known a [e]man intimately, in all were thirty-two thousand people.

36 The half, the share of those who went to war, was as follows: the number of sheep was 337,500, 37 the Lords tribute tax of the sheep was 675; 38 the cattle were thirty-six thousand, from which the Lords tribute tax was seventy-two; 39 the donkeys were 30,500, from which the Lords tribute tax was sixty-one; 40 and the captive people were sixteen thousand, from whom the Lords tribute tax was thirty-two persons. 41 And Moses gave the tribute tax, which was the Lords offering, to Eleazar the priest, just (D)as the Lord had commanded Moses.

42 As for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses [f]separated from the men who had gone to war— 43 now the congregation’s half was 337,500 sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and the captive people were sixteen thousand— 47 from the sons of Israel’s half Moses took one drawn from every fifty, both of people and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of the tabernacle of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 31:26 Lit of captives
  2. Numbers 31:28 Lit soul from
  3. Numbers 31:29 Or uplifted offering, and so throughout the ch
  4. Numbers 31:32 Lit people
  5. Numbers 31:35 Lit man’s bed
  6. Numbers 31:42 Lit divided

Disposition of Captives and Booty

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Take the count of the booty that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Elea′zar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation; 27 and divide the booty 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, one out of five hundred, of the persons and of the oxen and of the asses and of the flocks; 29 take it from their half, and give it to Elea′zar the priest as an offering to the Lord. 30 And from the people of Israel’s half you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who have charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.” 31 And Moses and Elea′zar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32 Now the booty remaining of the spoil that the men of war took was: six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand asses, 35 and thirty-two thousand 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 to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 37 and the Lord’s tribute of 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 asses 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 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the offering for the Lord, to Elea′zar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

42 From the people of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had gone to war— 43 now the congregation’s half was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 and thirty thousand five hundred asses, 46 and sixteen thousand persons— 47 from the people of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who had charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.

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