Numbers 31 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

Vengeance on the Midianites

The Midianites Conquered

Num 31:1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

Num 31:2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

Num 31:3So 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.

Num 31:4

Num 31:4“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

Num 31:5

Num 31:5So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

Num 31:6

Num 31:6Then 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.

Num 31:7

Num 31:7And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

Num 31:8

Num 31:8They 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.

Num 31:9

Num 31:9And 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.

Num 31:10

Num 31:10They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts.

Num 31:11

Num 31:11And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

Return from the War

Num 31:12

Num 31:12Then 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.

Num 31:13

Num 31:13And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.

Num 31:14

Num 31:14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

Num 31:15

Num 31:15And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive?

Num 31:16

Num 31:16“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.

Num 31:17

Num 31:17“Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.

Num 31:18

Num 31:18“But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.

Num 31:19

Num 31:19“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.

Num 31:20

Num 31:20“Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

Num 31:21

Num 31:21Then 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:

Num 31:22

Num 31:22“Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Num 31:23

Num 31:23“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.

Num 31:24

Num 31:24“And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

Division of the Plunder

Num 31:25

Num 31:25Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

Num 31:26

Num 31:26“Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

Num 31:27

Num 31:27“and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

Num 31:28

Num 31:28“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;

Num 31:29

Num 31:29“take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD.

Num 31:30

Num 31:30“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.”

Num 31:31

Num 31:31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Num 31:32

Num 31:32The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,

Num 31:33

Num 31:33seventy-two thousand cattle,

Num 31:34

Num 31:34sixty-one thousand donkeys,

Num 31:35

Num 31:35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately.

Num 31:36

Num 31:36And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

Num 31:37

Num 31:37and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.

Num 31:38

Num 31:38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two.

Num 31:39

Num 31:39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one.

Num 31:40

Num 31:40The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

Num 31:41

Num 31:41So Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Num 31:42

Num 31:42And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—

Num 31:43

Num 31:43now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

Num 31:44

Num 31:44thirty-six thousand cattle,

Num 31:45

Num 31:45thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

Num 31:46

Num 31:46and sixteen thousand persons—

Num 31:47

Num 31:47and 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.

Num 31:48

Num 31:48Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

Num 31:49

Num 31:49and 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.

Num 31:50

Num 31:50“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.”

Num 31:51

Num 31:51So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.

Num 31:52

Num 31:52And 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.

Num 31:53

Num 31:53(The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

Num 31:54

Num 31:54And 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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Numbers 31 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

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