Numbers 31 : 1 (NCV)
The Lord spoke to Moses and said,
Numbers 31 : 2 (NCV)
"Pay back the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites; after that you will die."
Numbers 31 : 3 (NCV)
So Moses said to the people, "Get some men ready for war. The Lord will use them to pay back the Midianites.
Numbers 31 : 4 (NCV)
Send to war a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel."
Numbers 31 : 5 (NCV)
So twelve thousand men got ready for war, a thousand men from each tribe.
Numbers 31 : 6 (NCV)
Moses sent those men to war; Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest was with them. He took with him the holy things and the trumpets for giving the alarm.
Numbers 31 : 7 (NCV)
They fought the Midianites as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed every Midianite man.
Numbers 31 : 8 (NCV)
Among those they killed were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with a sword.
Numbers 31 : 9 (NCV)
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children, and they took all their flocks, herds, and goods.
Numbers 31 : 10 (NCV)
They burned all the Midianite towns where they had settled and all their camps,
Numbers 31 : 11 (NCV)
but they took all the people and animals and goods.
Numbers 31 : 12 (NCV)
Then they brought the captives, the animals, and the goods back to Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the Israelites. Their camp was on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
Numbers 31 : 13 (NCV)
Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the people went outside the camp to meet them.
Numbers 31 : 14 (NCV)
Moses was angry with the army officers, the commanders over a thousand men, and those over a hundred men, who returned from war.
Numbers 31 : 15 (NCV)
He asked them, "Why did you let the women live?
Numbers 31 : 16 (NCV)
They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and turned the Israelites from the Lord at Peor. Then a terrible sickness struck the Lord's people.
Numbers 31 : 17 (NCV)
Kill all the Midianite boys, and kill all the Midianite women who have had sexual relations.
Numbers 31 : 18 (NCV)
But save for yourselves the girls who have not had sexual relations with a man.
Numbers 31 : 19 (NCV)
"All you men who killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days you and your captives must make yourselves clean.
Numbers 31 : 20 (NCV)
You must clean all your clothes and anything made of leather, goat hair, or wood."
Numbers 31 : 21 (NCV)
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to war, "These are the teachings that the Lord gave to Moses:
Numbers 31 : 22 (NCV)
Put any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead --
Numbers 31 : 23 (NCV)
anything that will not burn -- into the fire, and then it will be clean. But also purify those things with the cleansing water. Then they will be clean. If something cannot stand the fire, wash it with the water.
Numbers 31 : 24 (NCV)
On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may come into the camp."
Numbers 31 : 25 (NCV)
The Lord said to Moses,
Numbers 31 : 26 (NCV)
"You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the family groups should take a count of the goods, the men, and the animals that were taken.
Numbers 31 : 27 (NCV)
Then divide those possessions between the soldiers who went to war and the rest of the people.
Numbers 31 : 28 (NCV)
From the soldiers who went to war, take a tax for the Lord of one item out of every five hundred. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, or sheep.
Numbers 31 : 29 (NCV)
Take it from the soldiers' half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord's share.
Numbers 31 : 30 (NCV)
And from the people's half, take one item out of every fifty. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals. Give that to the Levites, who take care of the Lord's Holy Tent."
Numbers 31 : 31 (NCV)
So Moses and Eleazar did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Numbers 31 : 32 (NCV)
There remained from what the soldiers had taken 675,000 sheep, 3372,000 cattle, 3461,000 donkeys,
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