New Living Translation | New International Version |
1Then the LORD said to Moses, | 1The LORD said to Moses, |
2“On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.” | 2"Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people." |
3So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the LORD’s war of revenge against Midian. | 3So 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 on them. |
4From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” | 4Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." |
5So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. | 5So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. |
6Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge. | 6Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. |
7They attacked Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. | 7They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. |
8All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. | 8Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba--the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. |
9Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. | 9The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. |
10They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived. | 10They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. |
11After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, | 11They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, |
12they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. | 12and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. |
13Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. | 13Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. |
14But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle. | 14Moses was angry with the officers of the army--the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--who returned from the battle. |
15“Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. | 15"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. |
16“These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD’s people. | 16"They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. |
17So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. | 17Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, |
18Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves. | 18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. |
19And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days. | 19"Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. |
20Purify all your clothing, too, and everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood.” | 20Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood." |
21Then Eleazar the priest said to the men who were in the battle, “The LORD has given Moses this legal requirement: | 21Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: |
22Anything made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead— | 22Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead |
23that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone. | 23and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. |
24On the seventh day you must wash your clothes and be purified. Then you may return to the camp.” Division of the Plunder | 24On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp." |
25And the LORD said to Moses, | 25The LORD said to Moses, |
26“You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of each tribe are to make a list of all the plunder taken in the battle, including the people and animals. | 26"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. |
27Then divide the plunder into two parts, and give half to the men who fought the battle and half to the rest of the people. | 27Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. |
28From the army’s portion, first give the LORD his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. | 28From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. |
29Give this share of the army’s half to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD. | 29Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part. |
30From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the LORD’s Tabernacle.” | 30From 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." |
31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. | 31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. |
32The plunder remaining from everything the fighting men had taken totaled 675,000 sheep and goats, | 32The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, |
3372,000 cattle, | 3372,000 cattle, |
3461,000 donkeys, | 3461,000 donkeys |
35and 32,000 virgin girls. | 35and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man. |
36Half of the plunder was given to the fighting men. It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, | 36The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, |
37of which 675 were the LORD’s share; | 37of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; |
3836,000 cattle, of which 72 were the LORD’s share; | 3836,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; |
3930,500 donkeys, of which 61 were the LORD’s share; | 3930,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; |
40and 16,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 were the LORD’s share. | 4016,000 people, of whom the tribute for the LORD was 32. |
41Moses gave all the LORD’s share to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had directed him. | 41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part, as the LORD commanded Moses. |
42Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men. | 42The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men-- |
43It totaled 337,500 sheep and goats, | 43the community's half--was 337,500 sheep, |
4436,000 cattle, | 4436,000 cattle, |
4530,500 donkeys, | 4530,500 donkeys |
46and 16,000 virgin girls. | 46and 16,000 people. |
47From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the LORD’s Tabernacle. All this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses. | 47From 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. |
48Then all the generals and captains came to Moses | 48Then the officers who were over the units of the army--the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--went to Moses |
49and said, “We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing! | 49and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. |
50So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the LORD from our share of the plunder—armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the LORD and make us right with him. ” | 50So 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 before the LORD." |
51So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from all the military commanders—all kinds of jewelry and crafted objects. | 51Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold--all the crafted articles. |
52In all, the gold that the generals and captains presented as a gift to the LORD weighed about 420 pounds. | 52All 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. |
53All the fighting men had taken some of the plunder for themselves. | 53Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. |
54So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the LORD that the people of Israel belong to him. | 54Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD. |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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