Numbers 31:1-27 ▼

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Avenge the wrongs of the children of Israel on the Madianites, and afterwards thou shalt be added to thy people.

3 And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of you, and set yourselves in array before the Lord against Madian, to inflict vengeance on Madian from the Lord.

4 Send a thousand of each tribe from all the tribes of the children of Israel to set themselves in array.

5 And they numbered of the thousands of Israel a thousand of each tribe, twelve thousands; these were armed for war.

6 And Moses sent them away a thousand of every tribe with their forces, and Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest: and the holy instruments, and the signal trumpets were in their hands.

7 And they set themselves in array against Madian, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

8 And they slew the kings of Madian together with their slain subjects ; even Evi and Rocon, and Sur, and Ur, and Roboc, five kings of Madian; and they slew with the sword Balaam the son of Beor with their other slain.

9 And they made a prey of the women of Madian, and their store, and their cattle, and all their possessions: and they spoiled their forces.

10 And they burnt with fire all their cities in the places of their habitation and they burnt their villages with fire.

11 And they took all their plunder, and all their spoils, both man and beast.

12 And they brought to Moses and to Eleazar the priest, and to all the children of Israel, the captives, and the spoils, and the plunder, to the camp to Araboth Moab, which is at Jordan by Jericho.

13 And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the rulers of the synagogue went forth out of the camp to meet them.

14 And Moses was angry with the captains of the host, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds who came from the battle-array.

15 And Moses said to them, Why have ye saved every female alive?

16 For they were the occasion to the children of Israel by the word of Balaam of their revolting and despising the word of the Lord, because of Phogor; and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord.

17 Now then slay every male in all the spoil, slay every woman, who has known the lying with man.

18 And as for all the captivity of women, who have not known the lying with man, save ye them alive.

19 And ye shall encamp outside the great camp seven days; every one who has slain and who touches a dead body, shall be purified on the third day, and ye and your captivity shall purify yourselves on the seventh day.

20 And ye shall purify every garment and every leathern utensil, and all furniture of goat skin, and every wooden vessel.

21 And Eleazar the priest said to the men of the host that came from the battle-array, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses.

22 Beside the gold, and the silver, and the brass, and the iron, and lead, and tin,

23 every thing that shall pass through the fire shall so be clean, nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sanctification; and whatsoever will not pass through the fire shall pass through water.

24 And on the seventh day ye shall wash your garments, and be clean; and afterwards ye shall come into the camp.

25 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

26 Take the sum of the spoils of the captivity both of man and beast, thou and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the families of the congregation.

27 And ye shall divide the spoils between the warriors that went out to battle, and the whole congregation.