Numbers 31

God Commands War Against Midian

1 The Lord told Moses.

2 “Gather the Israelites and take revenge on the Midianites for what they did. After this, you will die and join your ancestors.”

3 So Moses told the people, “Get ready for battle! The Lord is sending us to settle the score with Midian.”

4 “Send 1,000 men from each tribe, a total of 12,000 soldiers, to fight.”

5 So 12,000 men were gathered from all the tribes of Israel for war.

Israel Destroys Midian

6 Moses sent them to war, along with Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, who carried the holy items and trumpets for battle.

7 They attacked Midian just as the Lord commanded and killed every man.

8 They executed the five kings of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, and they killed Balaam, son of Beor, with the sword too.

9 The Israelites captured all the Midianite women and children and took all their livestock, herds, and goods as loot.

10 They burned down all the Midianite towns and camps.

11 They took everything, people, animals, and valuables, as war spoils.

12 Then they brought all the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite community at the plains of Moab, near the Jordan across from Jericho.

Moses Is Angry That They Spared the Women

13 Moses, Eleazar, and the leaders went out to meet the soldiers outside the camp.

14 Moses got furious with the army officers and commanders when he saw they had let the women live.

15 He said, “Why did you all let the women live!”

16 “These are the same women who tricked Israel into sinning at Peor because of Balaam’s advice! That is why the Lord sent the plague on us!”

17 “So now, kill all the boys and every woman who has slept with a man.”

18 “But keep alive the young girls who have never been with a man. They will be yours.”

Purification After Battle

19 “Anyone who killed someone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. Purify yourselves on the third and seventh days, and purify everyone you captured.”

20 “Also, purify every piece of clothing, leather, goat hair, and wooden items.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest told the soldiers, “This is what the Lord commanded about purification.”

22 “Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead.”

23 “Anything that can survive fire must be put through fire to be purified. Then it must also be washed with purification water. But if it cannot go through fire, wash it with water.”

24 “Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and then you will be clean. After that, you can return to the camp.”

Dividing the Spoils of War

25 The Lord told Moses.

26 “Count everything that was captured, people and animals. Let Eleazar the priest and the leaders help you.”

27 “Divide the spoils into two parts, half for the soldiers who fought, and half for the rest of the Israelites.”

28 “From the soldiers’ half, set aside a tax for the Lord, one out of every 500 people, cattle, donkeys, and sheep.”

29 “Give this tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord.”

30 “From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every 50 people and animals and give them to the Levites for their work in the Tabernacle.”

31 So Moses and Eleazar did exactly as the Lord commanded.

The Final Numbers

32 The total loot taken from Midian was: 675,000 sheep 72,000 cattle 61,000 donkeys 32,000 virgin girls

33 The soldiers’ half: 337,500 sheep

34 36,000 cattle

35 30,500 donkeys

36 16,000 virgin girls

37 The tax for the Lord from the soldiers’ half: 675 sheep

38 72 cattle

39 61 donkeys

40 32 girls

41 Moses gave this tribute to Eleazar as the Lord commanded.

42 From the Israelites’ half, they received:

43 337,500 sheep

44 36,000 cattle

45 30,500 donkeys

46 16,000 girls

47 From this, Moses took one out of every 50 and gave them to the Levites, just as the Lord commanded.

The Soldiers Give an Extra Offering to the Lord

48 The army commanders came to Moses.

49 They said, “We counted our troops, and not a single soldier was lost in battle!”

50 “We want to bring an offering to the Lord, gold jewelry, armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves.”

51 Moses and Eleazar took all the gold jewelry from them.

52 The total amount of gold given as an offering was 420 pounds.

53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.

54 Moses and Eleazar brought the gold into the Tabernacle as a memorial before the Lord for Israel.