Numbers:31

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* And the LORD spoke to Moses , saying : * "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel . Afterward you shall be gathered to your people ." * So Moses spoke to the people , saying , "Arm some of yourselves for war , and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian . * A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war ." * So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe , twelve thousand armed for war . * Then Moses sent them to the war , one thousand from each tribe ; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest , with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand . * And they warred against the Midianites , just as the LORD commanded Moses , and they killed all the males . * They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed--Evi , Rekem , Zur , Hur , and Reba , the five kings of Midian . Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword . * And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive , with their little ones , and took as spoil all their cattle , all their flocks , and all their goods . * They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt , and all their forts . * And they took all the spoil and all the booty--of man and beast . * Then they brought the captives , the booty , and the spoil to Moses , to Eleazar the priest , and to the congregation of the children of Israel , to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan , across from Jericho . * And Moses , Eleazar the priest , and all the leaders of the congregation , went to meet them outside the camp . * But Moses was angry with the officers of the army , with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds , who had come from the battle . * And Moses said to them : "Have you kept all the women alive ? * Look , these women caused the children of Israel , through the counsel of Balaam , to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor , and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD . * Now therefore , kill every male among the little ones , and kill every woman who has known a man intimately . * But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately . * And as for you , remain outside the camp seven days ; whoever has killed any person , and whoever has touched any slain , purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day . * Purify every garment , everything made of leather , everything woven of goats ' hair , and everything made of wood ." * Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle , "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses : * "Only the gold , the silver , the bronze , the iron , the tin , and the lead , * everything that can endure fire , you shall put through the fire , and it shall be clean ; and it shall be purified with the water of purification . But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water . * And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean , and afterward you may come into the camp ." * Now the LORD spoke to Moses , saying : * "Count up the plunder that was taken--of man and beast--you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation ; * and divide the plunder into two parts , between those who took part in the war , who went out to battle , and all the congregation . * And levy a tribute for the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle : one of every five hundred of the persons , the cattle , the donkeys , and the sheep ; * take it from their half , and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD . * And from the children of Israel 's half you shall take one of every fifty , drawn from the persons , the cattle , the donkeys , and the sheep , from all the livestock , and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD ." * So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses . * The booty remaining from the plunder , which the men of war had taken , was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep , * seventy-two thousand cattle , * sixty-one thousand donkeys , * and thirty-two thousand persons in all , of women who had not known a man intimately . * And the half , the portion for those who had gone out to war , was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep ; * and the LORD 's tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five . * The cattle were thirty-six thousand , of which the LORD 's tribute was seventy-two . * The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred , of which the LORD 's tribute was sixty-one . * The persons were sixteen thousand , of which the LORD 's tribute was thirty-two persons . * So Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD 's heave offering to Eleazar the priest , as the LORD commanded Moses . * And from the children of Israel 's half , which Moses separated from the men who fought -- * now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep , * thirty-six thousand cattle , * thirty thousand five hundred donkeys , * and sixteen thousand persons -- * and from the children of Israel 's half Moses took one of every fifty , drawn from man and beast , and gave them to the Levites , who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD , as the LORD commanded Moses . * Then the officers who were over thousands of the army , the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds , came near to Moses ; * and they said to Moses , "Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command , and not a man of us is missing . * Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD , what every man found of ornaments of gold : armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces , to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD ." * So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them , all the fashioned ornaments . * And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD , from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds , was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels . * (The men of war had taken spoil , every man for himself .) * And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds , and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD .

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