1And the LORD spoke to Moses, 2“Avenge the Israelites of the Midianites; and after that, you shall be gathered to your people.” 3And Moses spoke to the people, “Arm some of your men for war, and let them attack the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. 4Send a thousand from every tribe of Israel, into battle. ” 5And so there were chosen out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand men armed for war. 6And Moses sent them, a thousand from every tribe, along with Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to signal with in his hand.

7And they went against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they killed all the males. 8And they also killed the kings of Midian, namely, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; and they also killed Balaam, son of Beor, with the sword. 9And the Israelites took all the women, and their little ones of Midian captives; and took all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods, as spoil. 10And they burned all the cities and the encampments in which they dwelt. 11And they took all the spoil, all the prey, of both men and of beasts. 12And they brought them to Moses, and Eleazar, the priest, and to the congregation of the Israelites, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan River near Jericho.

13And Moses, Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation, went out to meet them outside the camp. 14And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, those over thousands, and hundreds, which came from the battle. 15And Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live? 16They were the ones that enticed the Israelites, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespasses against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and caused a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and every woman that has slept with a man. 18But all the girls that have not slept with a man, keep alive for yourselves. 19And whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched a dead body, should remain outside the camp for seven days; purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and again on the seventh day. 20And purify all your clothes, and all that is made of leather, of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.”

21And 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, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and the lead, 23Those things that can withstand the fire, you shall make go through the fire, and it shall be clean; but it still must be purified with the water of separation; and all that cannot withstand fire, you shall purify with water. 24And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean, and then you may come into the camp.’”

25And the LORD told Moses, 26“You, Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, are to count the booty that was taken, of both man and beast. 27And divide the booty into two parts: between those that went out to battle and took part in the war; and the rest of the congregation. 28And out of the spoils of the men who went out to battle, set aside unto the LORD one out of five hundred - of the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 29Take it from their share, and give it to Eleazar, the priest, for an offering to the LORD. 30And from the Israelites' half, you shall take one out of fifty, of people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats, of all manner of beasts, and give them to the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”

31And Moses and Eleazar did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 32And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had captured, was: six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep; 33Seventy-two thousand cattle; 34Seventy-one thousand donkeys; 35And thirty-two thousand persons in all – the girls that had not slept with a man. 36And the half, which was the share of those that went out to war, numbered three hundred thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep: 37Of which the LORD's tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five. 38And the cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which the LORD's tribute was seventy-two. 39And the donkeys were thirty thousand, five hundred; of which the LORD's tribute was sixty-one. 40And the girls were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD's tribute was thirty-two. 41And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD's offering, to Eleazar, the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. 42And of the Israelites’ share - separate from the men that warred - 43The share that pertained to the congregation - was three hundred thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep, 44Thirty-six thousand cattle, 45Thirty thousand, five hundred donkeys, 46And sixteen thousand girls. 47Of the Israelites’ half, Moses took one portion of fifty, of both girls and beasts, and gave them to the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48And then the officers who were over thousands, and over hundreds in the army, came to Moses: 49And said, “We have counted all the men of war under our command, and not one man is missing among us. 50 Therefore, we have brought an offering to the LORD - of what every man has acquired: of jewels, gold, chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.” 51And Moses and Eleazar accepted the gold, and crafted jewels. 52And all the gold of the offering that the officers brought to the LORD was sixteen thousand, seven hundred fifty shekels (about 420 pounds). 53For the men of war had taken spoil (plunder), each man for himself. 54And Moses and Eleazar, the priest, took the gold from the officers, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting, for a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.