Numbers 31 – NIV & ASCB

New International Version

Numbers 31:1-54

Vengeance on the Midianites

1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

3So 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 on them. 4Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

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

13Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14Moses was angry with the officers of the army—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 and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. 17Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

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

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

Dividing the Spoils

25The Lord said to Moses, 26“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. 27Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. 30From 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.” 31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 3372,000 cattle, 3461,000 donkeys 35and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

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

337,500 sheep, 37of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;

3836,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

3930,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

4016,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

42The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— 43the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 4436,000 cattle, 4530,500 donkeys 46and 16,000 people. 47From 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.

48Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses 49and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. 50So 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 before the Lord.”

51Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. 52All 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.31:52 That is, about 420 pounds or about 190 kilograms 53Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 54Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

4 Mose 31:1-54

Midianfoɔ So Aweretɔ

1Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 2“Esiane sɛ Midianfoɔ daadaa mo de mo kɔɔ abosonsom mu no enti, tɔ wɔn so awere. Yei akyi no wɔbɛwu na wɔakɔ wɔn agyanom nkyɛn.”

3Mose ka kyerɛɛ nkurɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Monyi mmarima no mu bi na wɔnkɔ Awurade aweretɔ sa a ɔde tia Midianfoɔ no. 4Momfa Israel abusua biara mu nnipa apem nkɔ ɔsa no.” 5Wɔyɛɛ saa nyaa mmarima mpem dumienu siesie wɔn maa ɔko no. 6Afei Mose ma wɔkɔeɛ, nnipa apem baako a wɔfiri abusuakuo biara mu. Ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa babarima Pinehas na ɔdii wɔn anim kɔɔ ɔko no. Wɔrekɔ no, wɔde kronkronneɛ a ɛwɔ kronkronbea hɔ ne totorobɛnto a wɔbɛhyɛn akanyane akodɔm no kɔeɛ.

7Na sɛdeɛ Awurade hyɛeɛ no, wɔkumm Midian mmarima nyinaa wɔ ɔko no mu. 8Wɔn a wɔkumm wɔn no bi ne Midian ahemfo baanum a wɔn edin de Ewi, Rekem, Sur, Hur ne Reba. Beor babarima Balaam nso, wɔkumm no. 9Afei, Israel asraafoɔ no kyekyeree Midian mmaa ne mmɔfra nyinaa ne wɔn anantwie ne wɔn nnwan fom nneɛma pii kaa ho. 10Wɔtoo Midian nkuro ne nkuraa nyinaa mu ogya, hyee no pasaa. 11Wɔfaa asadeɛ ne afodeɛ a nnipa no ne mmoa ka ho. 12Wɔde nneduafoɔ no ne ɔko no mu nneɛma a wɔnyaeɛ no nyinaa brɛɛ Mose, ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa ne Israelfoɔ a na wɔabɔ wɔn atenaseɛ wɔ Moab bepɔ so baabi a na ɛbɛn Asubɔnten Yordan a wɔtwa firi Yeriko ba hɔ no.

13Mose ne ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa ne mpanimfoɔ a wɔtuatua nnipa no ano no kɔhyiaa nkonimdifoɔ no ɛkwan. 14Nanso, Mose bo fuu mpanimfoɔ a wɔtuatua akodɔm no ano no.

15Ɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moankunkum mmaa no? 16Yeinom ara ne nnipa no a wɔtie Balaam enti wɔmaa Israelfoɔ gyaa Awurade kɔsom abosom wɔ bepɔ Peor so a enti ɛmaa ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bebree baa yɛn so bɛsɛee yɛn no. 17Monkunkum mmarimaa no nyinaa. Afei, monkunkum mmaa a wɔne mmarima adeda no nyinaa. 18Mommfa mo nsa nka mmaayewa nketewa no. Wɔn deɛ, momfa wɔn na mo ne wɔn nkɔtena.

19“Afei, momfiri atenaeɛ ha nkɔtena baabi nnanson, ɛfiri sɛ, mo nyinaa moakum nnipa anaa mode mo nsa aka efunu. Monnwira mo ho ne mo nneduafoɔ ne nnansa ne ne nnanson so. 20Monkae na monnwira mo ntadeɛ ne biribiara a wɔde aboa nwoma, abirekyie nwi anaa dua ayɛ.”

21Afei, ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa ka kyerɛɛ mmarima a wɔkɔɔ ɔko no sɛ, “Yei ne mmara a Awurade ahyɛ a waka akyerɛ Mose. 22Biribiara a ɛtumi gyinaa ogya ano te sɛ sikakɔkɔɔ, dwetɛ, kɔbere, dadeɛ, sanya anaa sumpii no, 23ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ka ogya sɛdeɛ ɛho bɛte. Yei akyi, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ahodwira nsuo dwira ho ma ɛho te. Nanso, biribiara a ɛrentumi nnyina ogya ano no deɛ, wɔmfa nsuo nnwira ho. 24Nnanson so, ɛsɛ sɛ mosi mo ntadeɛ na modwira mo ho ansa na moasane aba atenaeɛ hɔ.”

Wɔkyekyɛ Afodeɛ

25Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 26“Ɛsɛ sɛ wo ne ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa ne mmusua no mpanimfoɔ nyinaa twerɛ afodeɛ a nnipa ne mmoa ka ho a monyaa no ɔko no mu. 27Afei, monkyɛ afodeɛ no mu mmienu. Momfa ɛfa mma mmarima a wɔkɔɔ ɔko no na momfa ɛfa a aka no mma nnipa a aka no. 28Nanso, deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, ɛsɛ sɛ Awurade nya kyɛfa a ɛyɛ nneduafoɔ, anantwie, mfunumu, ne nnwan a ɛfiri akofoɔ no kyɛfa mu. Awurade kyɛfa no bɛyɛ ahanum biara mu baako. 29Fa saa kyɛfa yi ma ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa na ɔnhim no afɔrebukyia no anim mfa mma Awurade. 30Afei Israelfoɔ a wɔaka no kyɛfa no, monyi aduonum biara mu baako. Momfa yei mma Lewifoɔ a wɔhwɛ Awurade Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no so no.” 31Enti, Mose ne ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa yɛɛ deɛ Awurade hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no.

32Afodeɛ a ɛkaeɛ a akofoɔ no faeɛ no dodoɔ yɛ nnwan mpem ahansia aduɔson enum (675,000); 33anantwie mpem aduɔson mmienu (72,000); 34mfunumu mpem aduosia baako (61,000); 35ne mmaayewa mpem aduasa mmienu (32,000).

36Nneɛma no fa a wɔde maa asraafoɔ no dodoɔ nie:

Nnwan mpem ahasa aduasa nson ne ahanum (337,500) 37a wɔde mu ahansia aduɔson enum (675) maa Awurade;

38Anantwie mpem aduasa nsia (36,000) a wɔde mu aduɔson mmienu (72) maa Awurade;

39mfunumu mpem aduasa ne ahanum (30,500) a emu aduosia baako (61) yɛ Awurade kyɛfa;

40mmaayewa mpem dunsia (16,000); wɔde wɔn mu aduasa mmienu (32) maa Awurade.

41Wɔde Awurade kyɛfa no nyinaa maa ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa sɛdeɛ Awurade kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ ɔnyɛ no ara pɛ.

42Afodeɛ no a Israelfoɔ no nyaa no na ɛdidi soɔ yi: 43nnwan mpem ahasa aduasa nson ne ahanum (337,500), 44anantwie mpem aduasa nsia (36,000), 45mfunumu Mpem aduasa ne ahanum (30,500) ne 46mmaayewa mpem dunsia (16,000). 47Nnipa no kyɛfa a wɔnyaeɛ no, Mose yiyii nneduafoɔ ne mmoa aduonum biara mu baako de maa Lewifoɔ a wɔhwɛ Awurade Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan so no. Wɔyɛɛ yei nyinaa sɛdeɛ Awurade hyɛɛ Mose no.

48Afei, asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ baa Mose nkyɛn bɛka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, 49“Owura yɛabu nnipa a yɛde wɔn kɔɔ ɔko no nyinaa ano akyerɛ wo na yɛn mu baako koraa anyera. 50Ɛno enti, yɛfiri deɛ yɛnyaa no ɔko no mu no bi mu rebɛda Awurade ase. Yɛn asedadeɛ no yɛ sika adwinneɛ, nkapo, nkawa, nsonkawa ne kɔnmuadeɛ. Yeinom bɛyɛ mpatadeɛ ama yɛn kra wɔ Awurade anim.”

51Mose ne ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa gyee saa akyɛdeɛ yi a ɛyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ne adwinneɛ firii asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ no nkyɛn. 52Ne nyinaa mu sikakɔkɔɔ a asahene no de baeɛ sɛ akyɛdeɛ a wɔde rebrɛ Awurade no ano si nkariboɔ kilogram ɔha ne aduɔkron. 53Na asraafoɔ no afa ɔko no mu nneɛma a wɔnyaeɛ no bi. 54Enti Mose ne Eleasa gyee akyɛdeɛ no firii asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ no hɔ, na wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ no baa Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no mu sɛ ɛnyɛ nkaeɛ adeɛ mma Awurade sɛ Israelfoɔ yɛ ne dea.