Numbers 31
(1) Israel Declares War on Midianites
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Take revenge on the Midianites for Israel. After that, you will join your ancestors.”
So Moses told the population,
“Arm the men for war so we can oppose Midian and execute the Existing One’s justice on them. Take 1,000 men from each tribe and send them to war.”
(5) Israel Kills Midian’s Men but Spares their Women and Children
So 1,000 people came from each tribe, totaling 12,000 armed soldiers. Phinehas (Priest Eleazar’s son) was also assigned to go to war, along with all the sacred objects and trumpets that he was in charge of. So Israel went to war with Midian just like the Existing One instructed Moses, and they killed all the Midianite males, including Midian’s 5 kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam (Beor’s son) in combat. Israel’s descendants captured Midian’s women and children while seizing their livestock and plundering their valuables. Then Israel burned all of Midian’s cities and camps. They looted everything and captured all the victims—both people and animals. Then they brought all the victims, captives, and loot to Moses, Priest Eleazar, and the rest of the Israeli population at the plains of Moab, which is near the Jordan river across from Jericho.
(13) Troops Must Kill More Captives
Moses, Priest Eleazar, and the Israeli leaders met with the soldiers outside of the camp. Moses got mad at the military leaders who were serving in the war regardless of whether they led thousands or hundreds. He said,
“Did you let all the women live? They were the ones who caused Israel’s descendants to cheat on the Existing One! Remember how they did what Balaam said they would do and cheated on God with Peor? [Peor was Moab’s god, corresponding to Baal.] That’s why that killing wave swept through the Existing One’s people! You need to kill all the male children and all the females who have ever slept with a man. You can spare the young girls who haven’t slept with anyone and keep them for yourselves.
“Also, you guys need to stay outside of the Israeli camp for 7 days and purify yourselves on the third day and seventh day. That applies to any of you who has killed someone or made physical contact with a corpse. That applies to your captives too. And don’t forget to purify all your clothes, leather items, and wooden objects too.”
(21) Troops Must Purify
Then Priest Eleazar told the men who had fought on the battlefield,
“Here’s what the Existing One told Moses:
‘Whatever you have that can survive going through a fire (such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead) needs to be passed through fire to be purified. Then they need to be further purified with water. But whatever can’t survive going through a fire needs to be purified with water. You’ll also need to wash your clothes on the seventh day to be clean. After that, you’ll be allowed to enter back into the camp.”
(25) God Taxes Israel’s Loot
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“You, Priest Eleazar, and the leaders from each tribe need to take inventory of all the loot you got. Count all the people and animals that were captured and divide the loot up between the population and the soldiers who went to battle.
“Then collect a tax for Me from the soldiers who went to battle. From the soldiers’ half, take 1 out of every 500 of all the people, cows, donkeys and sheep you guys seized. Give those to Priest Eleazar as an offering to Me. From the population’s half, take one out of ever 50 of the people, cows, donkeys, sheep, and other animals. Give those to the Levites who are in charge of My house.”
Moses and Priest Eleazar did all those things the Existing One asked them to do.
(32) Loot Amounts
Total loot the soldiers collected:
675,000 sheep
72,000 cows
61,000 donkeys
32,000 female virgins
The half that was kept by the soldiers:
337,500 sheep (with 675 going to the Existing One)
36,000 cows (with 72 going to the Existing One)
30,500 donkeys (with 61 going to the Existing One)
16,000 human beings (with 32 going to the Existing One)
Moses followed the Existing One’s orders and collected the tax that was the Existing One’s offering and gave it to Priest Eleazar.
The half that went to the Israeli population:
337,500 sheep
36,000 cows
30,500 donkeys
16,000 human beings
Moses followed the Existing One’s orders and took 1 out of every 50 of these and gave them to the Levites who were in charge of the Existing One’s house.
(48) Israel Pays God’s Tax
Then the military captains (both those who oversaw thousands of troops and those who oversaw hundreds) approached Moses and said,
“We took inventory of our troops, and not a single one is missing. So we’re bringing an offering to the Existing One from all the loot we collected. This includes gold objects, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces. We’re doing this to make amends between us and the Existing One.”
So Moses and Priest Eleazar received their offering, and all the gold weighed 420 pounds. Each of the soldiers got to keep some of the loot for themselves. So Moses and Priest Eleazar took the gold and brought it to God’s meeting tent so it could be a memorial for Israel’s descendants in front of the Existing One.
