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Numbers 31-32
Holman Christian Standard Bible

War with Midian

31 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

3 So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance(A) on them. 4 Send 1,000 men to war from each Israelite tribe.” 5 So 1,000 were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands[a] in Israel—12,000 equipped for war. 6 Moses sent 1,000 from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.

7 They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 Along with the others slain by them, they killed the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian.(B) They also killed Balaam son of Beor(C) with the sword. 9 The Israelites took the Midianite women and their children captive, and they plundered all their cattle, flocks, and property.(D) 10 Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites lived, as well as all their encampments, 11 and took away all the spoils of war and the captives, both man and beast. 12 They brought the prisoners, animals, and spoils of war to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite community at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

13 Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses became furious with the officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the military campaign. 15 “Have[b] you let every female live?” he asked them. 16 “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community.(E) 17 So now, kill all the male children and kill every woman who has had sexual relations with a man, 18 but keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not had sexual relations.

19 “You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day. 20 Also purify everything: garments, leather goods, things made of goat hair, and every article of wood.”(F)

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the legal statute the Lord commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— 23 everything that can withstand fire—you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must still be purified with the purification water.(G) Anything that cannot withstand fire, pass through the water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

25 The Lord told Moses, 26 “You, Eleazar the priest, and the family leaders of the community are to take a count of what was captured, man and beast. 27 Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to war and the entire community. 28 Set aside a tribute for the Lord from what belongs to the fighting men who went out to war: one out of every 500 humans, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 29 Take the tribute from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the Lord. 30 From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every 50 from the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats, all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who perform the duties of[c] the Lord’s tabernacle.”

31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. 32 The captives remaining from the plunder the army had taken totaled:

675,000 sheep and goats,
33 72,000 cattle,
34 61,000 donkeys,
35 and 32,000 people, all the females who had not had sexual relations with a man.

36 The half portion for those who went out to war numbered:

337,500 sheep and goats,
37 and the tribute to the Lord was 675
from the sheep and goats;
38 from the 36,000 cattle,
the tribute to the Lord was 72;
39 from the 30,500 donkeys,
the tribute to the Lord was 61;
40 and from the 16,000 people,
the tribute to the Lord was 32 people.

41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as a contribution for the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

42 From the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from the men who fought, 43 the community’s half was:

337,500 sheep and goats,
44 36,000 cattle,
45 30,500 donkeys,
46 and 16,000 people.

47 Moses took one out of every 50, selected from the people and the livestock of the Israelites’ half. He gave them to the Levites who perform the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded him.

48 The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, approached Moses 49 and told him, “Your servants have taken a census of the fighting men under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50 So we have presented to the Lord an offering of the gold articles each man found—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”(H)

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. 52 All the gold of the contribution they offered to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, was 420 pounds.[d] 53 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest received 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 the Lord.

Transjordan Settlements

32 The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock. 2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: 3 “The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,[e] Nebo, and Beon, 4 which the Lord struck down(I) before the community of Israel, is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? 7 Why are you discouraging[f] the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? 8 That’s what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.(J) 9 After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 So the Lord’s anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 11 ‘Because they did not follow Me completely,(K) none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— 12 none except Caleb(L) son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua(M) son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.’ 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone. 14 And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers’ place adding even more to the Lord’s burning anger against Israel. 15 If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”

16 Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. 17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.”

20 Moses replied to them, “If you do this—if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 21 and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord—afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. 23 But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. 24 Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”(N)

25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26 Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders.”

28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses told them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.(O) 30 But if they don’t go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you.”

31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. 32 We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan.”

33 So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them. 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran(P) as fortified cities, and built sheepfolds. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

39 The descendants of Machir(Q) son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair’s Villages.[g](R) 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath with its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 31:5 Or clans
  2. Numbers 31:15 Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg read Why have
  3. Numbers 31:30 Or who protect
  4. Numbers 31:52 Lit 16,750 shekels
  5. Numbers 32:3 Sam, LXX read Sibmah (v. 38); Syr reads Sebah
  6. Numbers 32:7 Lit discouraging the hearts of
  7. Numbers 32:41 Or renamed Havvoth-jair
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Numbers 31-32
New International Version

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites(A) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.(B)”

3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance(C) on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle,(D) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle,(E) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas(F) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary(G) and the trumpets(H) for signaling.

7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,(I) and killed every man.(J) 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba(K)—the five kings of Midian.(L) They also killed Balaam son of Beor(M) with the sword.(N) 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women(O) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.(P) 10 They burned(Q) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.(R) 11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,(S) 12 and brought the captives, spoils(T) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly(U) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.(V)

13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army(W)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice(X) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,(Y) so that a plague(Z) struck the Lord’s people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,(AA) 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed(AB) must stay outside the camp seven days.(AC) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves(AD) and your captives. 20 Purify every garment(AE) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.(AF)”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,(AG) “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron,(AH) tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,(AI) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.(AJ) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.(AK) Then you may come into the camp.(AL)”

Dividing the Spoils

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads(AM) of the community are to count all the people(AN) and animals that were captured.(AO) 27 Divide(AP) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord(AQ) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. 30 From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.(AR)” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32 The plunder remaining from the spoils(AS) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys 35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

337,500 sheep, 37 of which the tribute for the Lord(AT) was 675;

38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

40 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part,(AU) as the Lord commanded Moses.(AV)

42 The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— 43 the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys 46 and 16,000 people. 47 From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

48 Then the officers(AW) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses 49 and said to him, “Your servants have counted(AX) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.(AY) 50 So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves(AZ) before the Lord.”

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. 52 All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.[a] 53 Each soldier had taken plunder(BA) for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting(BB) as a memorial(BC) for the Israelites before the Lord.

The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,(BD) saw that the lands of Jazer(BE) and Gilead(BF) were suitable for livestock.(BG) 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,(BH) and said, 3 “Ataroth,(BI) Dibon,(BJ) Jazer,(BK) Nimrah,(BL) Heshbon,(BM) Elealeh,(BN) Sebam,(BO) Nebo(BP) and Beon(BQ)— 4 the land the Lord subdued(BR) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,(BS) and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.(BT)”

6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?(BU) 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.(BV) 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol(BW) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused(BX) that day and he swore this oath:(BY) 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more(BZ) when they came up out of Egypt(CA) will see the land I promised on oath(CB) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(CC)— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’(CD) 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel(CE) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.(CF)

14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.(CG) 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.(CH)”

16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens(CI) here for our livestock(CJ) and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle[b] and go ahead of the Israelites(CK) until we have brought them to their place.(CL) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.(CM) 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance(CN) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”(CO)

20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle(CP) 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him(CQ)— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return(CR) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession(CS) before the Lord.(CT)

23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.(CU) 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,(CV) but do what you have promised.(CW)”

25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.(CX) 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.(CY) 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight(CZ) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

28 Then Moses gave orders about them(DA) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun(DB) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.(DC) 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,(DD) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.(DE) 30 But if they do not cross over(DF) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.(DG)”

31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.(DH) 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,(DI) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.(DJ)”

33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites,(DK) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh(DL) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites(DM) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan(DN)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.(DO)

34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,(DP) 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer,(DQ) Jogbehah,(DR) 36 Beth Nimrah(DS) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.(DT) 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,(DU) Elealeh(DV) and Kiriathaim,(DW) 38 as well as Nebo(DX) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.(DY) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

39 The descendants of Makir(DZ) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,(EA) captured it and drove out the Amorites(EB) who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,(EC) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair,(ED) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.[c](EE) 42 And Nobah captured Kenath(EF) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah(EG) after himself.(EH)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 31:52 That is, about 420 pounds or about 190 kilograms
  2. Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
  3. Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
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