King James Version, Updated™

(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(2) "Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people."

(3) So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.

(4) Of every tribe 1,000, throughout all the tribes of Israel, YOU shall send to the war."

(5) So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, 1,000 from every tribe, 12,000 armed for war.

(6) Then Moses sent them to the war, 1,000 from every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

(7) And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they killed all the males.

(8) They killed the kings of Midian, with the rest of them that were killed: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian; Balaam also the son of Beor they killed with the sword.

(9) The children of Israel took all the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

(10) They burned all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their encampments, with fire.

(11) And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

(12) Then they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp on the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho.

(13) Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the rulers of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp.

(14) Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

(15) Moses said to them, "Have YOU let all the women live?

(16) Behold, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

(17) Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.

(18) But all the female children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep those alive for yourselves.

(19) And for YOU, abide outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify both yourselves and YOUR captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

(20) Purify all YOUR garments, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.

(21) Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses:

(22) Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

(23) everything that may enter into the fire, YOU shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation, and all that does not enter into the fire YOU shall make go through the water.

(24) And YOU shall wash YOUR clothes on the seventh day, and YOU shall be clean, and afterward YOU shall come into the camp."

(25) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

(26) "Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation;

(27) Divide the prey into two parts; between those that took part in the war, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation.

(28) And levy a tribute to the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one person out of 500, both of the persons, and of the cattle, and of the donkeys, and of the sheep;

(29) Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for a heave offering to the LORD.

(30) And from the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one portion of 50, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all manner of animals, and give them to the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD."

(31) So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

(32) Now the booty, being the rest of the plunder which the men of war had caught, was 675,000 sheep,

(33) and 72,000 cattle,

(34) and 61,000 donkeys,

(35) and 32,000 persons in all, of women who had not known man by lying with him.

(36) And the half, the portion of those who went out to war, was in number 337,500 sheep;

(37) The LORD’S tribute of the sheep was 675.

(38) The cattle were 36,000, of which the LORD’S tribute was 72.

(39) The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD’S tribute was 61.

(40) The persons were 16,000, of which the LORD’S tribute was 32 persons.

(41) And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’S heave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

(42) And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men who fought,

(43) (now the half that belonged to the congregation was 337,500 sheep,

(44) and 36,000 cattle,

(45) and 30,500 donkeys,

(46) and 16,000 persons.)

47 Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:

49 And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.

51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.

52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.