Vengeance on Midian
1Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 2“Take vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” 3So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm men from among you for war, so that they may go against Midian and carry out Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian. 4One thousand from every tribe, one thousand from every tribe — that many from all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” 5So from the thousands of Israel a thousand were provided from each tribe — twelve thousand armed for war. 6Moses sent them to war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who went to war carrying the sacred vessels and the trumpets for the battle cry. 7They waged war against Midian, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8Along with the rest of the slain they killed the kings of Midian — Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian — and they killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9The Israelites took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and they plundered all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their wealth. 10And they burned with fire all the cities where they had lived, and all their encampments. 11They took all the spoil and all the plunder, both people and animals, 12and they brought the captives, the plunder, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the Israelites, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 13Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. 14Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were coming back from the campaign of war. 15Moses said to them, “Have you let every female live? 16Look, these were the very ones who, on Balaam’s advice, caused the Israelites to act unfaithfully against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, so that the plague came upon the congregation of Yahweh. 17Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him. 18But all the young girls who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19As for you, camp outside the camp for seven days. Everyone who has killed a person and everyone who has touched a corpse must purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day — both you and your captives. 20You must also purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything made of goats’ hair, and every article of wood.” 21Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law that Yahweh commanded Moses: 22only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead — 23anything that can withstand fire, you must pass through the fire, and it will be clean, though it must still be purified with the water for impurity. And anything that cannot withstand fire, you must pass through the water. 24You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean; after that you may come into the camp.”
Dividing the Plunder
25Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 26“Take the count of the plunder that was captured, both people and animals — you, Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the ancestral houses of the congregation. 27Divide the plunder into two, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and the rest of the congregation. 28From the soldiers who went out to battle, set apart a tribute for Yahweh: one out of every five hundred, from the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the flocks. 29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as Yahweh’s contribution. 30And from the half belonging to the Israelites, take one out of every fifty, from the people, the cattle, the donkeys, the flocks, and all the other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of Yahweh.” 31Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 32The plunder remaining from the spoil that the soldiers had seized was: six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep and goats, 33seventy-two thousand cattle, 34sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35and thirty-two thousand human beings in all — women who had not known a man by lying with him. 36The half that was the portion of those who had gone out to war numbered: three hundred and thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep and goats, 37and Yahweh’s tribute from the sheep and goats was six hundred and seventy-five. 38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, and Yahweh’s tribute from them was seventy-two. 39The donkeys were thirty thousand, five hundred, and Yahweh’s tribute from them was sixty-one. 40The human beings were sixteen thousand, and Yahweh’s tribute from them was thirty-two persons. 41Moses gave the tribute, Yahweh’s contribution, to Eleazar the priest, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 42As for the half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses had divided off from the men who had fought — 43the congregation’s half was: three hundred and thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep and goats, 44thirty-six thousand cattle, 45thirty thousand, five hundred donkeys, 46and sixteen thousand human beings. 47From the half belonging to the Israelites, Moses took one out of every fifty, from the people and the animals, and gave them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 48Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came to Moses 49and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers who were under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50So we have brought as an offering to Yahweh whatever gold article each man found — armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and pendants — to make atonement for ourselves before Yahweh.” 51So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, every article of skilled work. 52All the gold of the contribution that they presented to Yahweh, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came to sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53(The soldiers had each kept plunder for himself.) 54Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before Yahweh.
