Numbers 31-35

New International Version

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites^(A) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(B)”

³ So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance^(C) on them. ⁴ Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” ⁵ So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(D) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle,^(E) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(F) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(G) and the trumpets^(H) for signaling.

⁷ They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,^(I) and killed every man.^{(J) 8} Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(K)—the five kings of Midian.^(L) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(M) with the sword.^{(N) 9} The Israelites captured the Midianite women^(O) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.^{(P) 10} They burned^(Q) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.^{(R) 11} They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,^{(S) 12} and brought the captives, spoils^(T) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly^(U) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(V)

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ Moses was angry with the officers of the army^(W)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

¹⁵ “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. ¹⁶ “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice^(X) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,^(Y) so that a plague^(Z) struck the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,^{(AA) 18} but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed^(AB) must stay outside the camp seven days.^(AC) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves^(AD) and your captives. ²⁰ Purify every garment^(AE) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.^(AF)”

²¹ Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,^(AG) “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: ²² Gold, silver, bronze, iron,^(AH) tin, lead ²³ and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,^(AI) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.^(AJ) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. ²⁴ On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.^(AK) Then you may come into the camp.^(AL)”

Dividing the Spoils

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads^(AM) of the community are to count all the people^(AN) and animals that were captured.^{(AO) 27} Divide^(AP) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. ²⁸ From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord^(AQ) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. ²⁹ Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. ³⁰ From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.^(AR)” ³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³² The plunder remaining from the spoils^(AS) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys ³⁵ and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

³⁶ The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part,^(AU) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(AV)

⁴² The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— ⁴³ the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys ⁴⁶ and 16,000 people. ⁴⁷ From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

⁴⁸ Then the officers^(AW) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses ⁴⁹ and said to him, “Your servants have counted^(AX) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.^{(AY) 50} So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves^(AZ) before the Lord.”

⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. ⁵² All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.^{[a] 53} Each soldier had taken plunder^(BA) for himself. ⁵⁴ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting^(BB) as a memorial^(BC) for the Israelites before the Lord.

The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(BD) saw that the lands of Jazer^(BE) and Gilead^(BF) were suitable for livestock.^{(BG) 2} So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(BH) and said, ³ “Ataroth,^(BI) Dibon,^(BJ) Jazer,^(BK) Nimrah,^(BL) Heshbon,^(BM) Elealeh,^(BN) Sebam,^(BO) Nebo^(BP) and Beon^(BQ)— ⁴ the land the Lord subdued^(BR) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(BS) and your servants have livestock. ⁵ If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(BT)”

⁶ Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^{(BU) 8} This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^{(BV) 9} After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(BW) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger was aroused^(BX) that day and he swore this oath:^{(BY) 11} ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(BZ) when they came up out of Egypt^(CA) will see the land I promised on oath^(CB) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(CC)— ¹² not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^{(CD) 13} The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(CE) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(CF)

¹⁴ “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^{(CG) 15} If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(CH)”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(CI) here for our livestock^(CJ) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves for battle^[b] and go ahead of the Israelites^(CK) until we have brought them to their place.^(CL) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^{(CM) 19} We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(CN) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(CO)

²⁰ Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^{(CP) 21} and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(CQ)— ²² then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(CR) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(CS) before the Lord.^(CT)

²³ “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^{(CU) 24} Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(CV) but do what you have promised.^(CW)”

²⁵ The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^{(CX) 26} Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^{(CY) 27} But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(CZ) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸ Then Moses gave orders about them^(DA) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(DB) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^{(DC) 29} He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(DD) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^{(DE) 30} But if they do not cross over^(DF) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(DG)”

³¹ The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^{(DH) 32} We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(DI) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(DJ)”

³³ Then Moses gave to the Gadites,^(DK) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(DL) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites^(DM) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan^(DN)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.^(DO)

³⁴ The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,^{(DP) 35} Atroth Shophan, Jazer,^(DQ) Jogbehah,^{(DR) 36} Beth Nimrah^(DS) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.^{(DT) 37} And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,^(DU) Elealeh^(DV) and Kiriathaim,^{(DW) 38} as well as Nebo^(DX) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.^(DY) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

³⁹ The descendants of Makir^(DZ) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,^(EA) captured it and drove out the Amorites^(EB) who were there. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,^(EC) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹ Jair,^(ED) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.^{[c](EE) 42} And Nobah captured Kenath^(EF) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah^(EG) after himself.^(EH)

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey^(EI) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt^(EJ) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.^{(EK) 2} At the Lord’s command Moses recorded^(EL) the stages in their journey^(EM). This is their journey by stages:

⁵⁰ On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho^(GH) the Lord said to Moses, ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(GI) 52} drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.^{(GJ) 53} Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.^{(GK) 54} Distribute the land by lot,^(GL) according to your clans.^(GM) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.^(GN) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.^(GO)

⁵⁵ “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns^(GP) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶ And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.^(GQ)’”

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,^(GR) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance^(GS) is to have these boundaries:^(GT)

³ “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin^(GU) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,^{(GV) 4} cross south of Scorpion Pass,^(GW) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.^(GX) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,^{(GY) 5} where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt^(GZ) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.^(HA) This will be your boundary on the west.^(HB)

⁷ “‘For your northern boundary,^(HC) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor^{(HD) 8} and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.^(HE) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, ⁹ continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

¹⁰ “‘For your eastern boundary,^(HF) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah^(HG) on the east side of Ain^(HH) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.^{[f](HI) 12} Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

¹³ Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot^(HJ) as an inheritance.^(HK) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, ¹⁴ because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.^{(HL) 15} These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua^(HM) son of Nun. ¹⁸ And appoint one leader from each tribe to help^(HN) assign the land.^{(HO) 19} These are their names:^(HP)

²⁹ These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.^(HY)

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,^(HZ) the Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in^(IA) from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands^(IB) around the towns. ³ Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.^(IC)

⁴ “The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits^[g] from the town wall. ⁵ Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits^[h](ID) on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.^(IE)

Cities of Refuge^(IF)

⁶ “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(IG) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷ In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸ The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(IH)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(II) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(IJ) accidentally^(IK) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(IL) so that anyone accused of murder^(IM) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(IN) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(IO) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^{(IP) 17} Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(IQ) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^{(IR) 20} If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(IS) so that they die ²¹ or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(IT) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(IU) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(IV) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(IW) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(IX) who was anointed^(IY) with the holy oil.^(IZ)

²⁶ “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸ The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹ “‘This is to have the force of law^(JA) for you throughout the generations to come,^(JB) wherever you live.^(JC)

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(JD)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(JE) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(JF) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(JG) where you live and where I dwell,^(JH) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”