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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Numbers 31</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/numbers/31.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//numbers/31-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/numbers/">Numbers</a> > Numbers 31</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../numbers/30.htm" title="Numbers 30">◄</a> Numbers 31 <a href="../numbers/32.htm" title="Numbers 32">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/numbers/31.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/numbers/31.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/numbers/31.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/numbers/31.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/numbers/31.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/numbers/31.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/numbers/31.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Vengeance on Midian<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>And the LORD said to Moses, <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” <A name="4"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them. <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” <A name="6"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war. <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. <A name="8"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. <A name="10"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods. <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals. <A name="13"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. <A name="15"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man. <A name="20"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.” <A name="22"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water. <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.” <A name="26"></a><p class="hdg">Division of the Spoils<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>The LORD said to Moses, <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. <A name="28"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation. <A name="29"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. <A name="30"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD. <A name="31"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.” <A name="32"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses, <A name="33"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: <p class="list1">675,000 sheep, <A name="34"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>72,000 cattle, <A name="35"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>61,000 donkeys, <A name="36"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man. <A name="37"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: <p class="list1">337,500 sheep, <A name="38"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>including a tribute to the LORD of 675, <A name="39"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72, <A name="40"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-39.htm"><b>39</b></a></span>30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61, <A name="41"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-40.htm"><b>40</b></a></span>and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32. <A name="42"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-41.htm"><b>41</b></a></span>Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. <A name="43"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-42.htm"><b>42</b></a></span>From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, <A name="44"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-43.htm"><b>43</b></a></span>this half belonged to the congregation: <p class="list1">337,500 sheep, <A name="45"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-44.htm"><b>44</b></a></span>36,000 cattle, <A name="46"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-45.htm"><b>45</b></a></span>30,500 donkeys, <A name="47"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-46.htm"><b>46</b></a></span>and 16,000 people. <A name="48"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-47.htm"><b>47</b></a></span>From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him. <A name="49"></a><p class="hdg">The Voluntary Offering<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-48.htm"><b>48</b></a></span>Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses <A name="50"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-49.htm"><b>49</b></a></span>and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. <A name="51"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-50.htm"><b>50</b></a></span>So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” <A name="52"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-51.htm"><b>51</b></a></span>So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. <A name="53"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-52.htm"><b>52</b></a></span>All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> <A name="54"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-53.htm"><b>53</b></a></span>Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. <span class="reftext"><a href="/numbers/31-54.htm"><b>54</b></a></span>And 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.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">52</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <i>16,750 shekels</i><span class="thin"> </span> is approximately 420.8 pounds or 190.9 kilograms.<br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div 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