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          DASV: Numbers 31    

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites,
after that you will be gathered to your people."
3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm some
of your men for the war, that they may go against Midian,
to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian.
4 Send to war a thousand from each of all the tribes
of Israel."
5 So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from
each tribe was chosen, 12,000 men armed for war.
6 Then Moses sent them to war, a thousand from each tribe
with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, along with
the articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for the
sounding the alarm in his hand.

7 So they fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses,
and they killed every male.
8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain:
Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian.
They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9 The Israelites took captive the women of Midian and
their children; and took all their cattle, all their flocks
and all their goods as plunder.
10 They burned with fire all their towns where they lived
and all their encampments.
11 They took all the spoil and plunder, both of people
and animals.
12 They brought the captives, plunder and spoil to Moses,
Eleazar the priest, and the assembly of Israelites camped
on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River across from Jericho.
13 Then Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders
of the assembly, went out to meet them outside the camp.
14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army,
the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds,
who returned from the battle.
15 Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?
16 Look, these women, as a result of Balaam's counsel,
caused the Israelites to rebel against the LORD in the
matter of Peor, so that the plague came among the
LORD's community.
17 Now therefore kill every boy and kill every woman who
has slept with a man.
18 But all the young women who have not slept with a man,
you may keep for yourselves.
19Anyone who has killed someone, and whoever has touched
a corpse should stay outside the camp seven days.
Purify yourselves and your captives on the third and
seventh day.
20 Purify each garment and everything made of leather,
goats' hair or wood."

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to soldiers who went
to the battle, "This is the statute of the law that
the LORD commanded Moses:
22 'the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead,
23 everything that can withstand fire, you are to put
through the fire, then it will be clean. But it must
also be purified with the water of purification.
Everything that is flammable you need only put
through the water.
24 You must wash your clothes on the seventh day and
then you will be clean and afterward you may enter
the camp."

25 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
26 "You, Eleazar the priest and family leaders of the
community are to take an inventory of all the plunder,
both people and animals.
27 Then divide the plunder into two parts between the
soldiers who went out to battle and all the congregation.
28 Exact tribute for the LORD from the warriors
who went out to battle, one life out of five hundred,
whether people, oxen, donkeys, or flocks.
29 Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar
the priest, as an offering to the LORD.
30 But from the Israelite's half, you are to take one
out of every fifty, whether people, oxen, donkeys
or flocks--all the animals--and give them to the
Levites who are in charge of the tabernacle of the LORD."
31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD
commanded Moses.

32 Now the plunder remaining from the spoils that the
warriors took, was 675,000 sheep,
33 72,000 cattle,
34 61,000 donkeys,
35 and 32,000 young women who had never slept with a man.
36 Half of the portion for those who went out to war
was 337,500 sheep,
37 and the LORD's tribute from the sheep was 675.
38 The soldiers' cattle were 36,000 with the LORD's
tribute being 72.
39 The donkeys were 30,500 with the LORD's tribute being 61.
40 The people were 16,000 with the LORD's tribute being 32.
41 Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD's offering,
to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

42 From the Israelites' half, which Moses separated
out from the soldiers
43 for 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 took one out of every
fifty people and animals, and gave them to the Levites,
who were in charge of the tabernacle of the LORD as
the LORD commanded Moses.

48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of
the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders
of hundreds approached Moses,
49 and said to Moses, "Your servants have taken count
of the soldiers that are under our command and not
one is missing.
50 So we have brought the LORD's offering from what
each man has gotten, articles of gold, armlets,
bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces,
to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD."
51 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold
from them, even all the crafted articles.
52 All the gold offering that they offered up to the
LORD from the commanders of thousands, and commanders
of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.
53 (For each soldier had taken plunder for himself.)
54 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the
gold from the commanders of thousands and hundreds,
and brought it to the Tent of Meeting as a memorial
for the Israelites before the LORD.

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