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 signalling.
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 opposite 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 handcrafted 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 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.
Aisraeli Agonjetsa Amidiyani
1Yehova anawuza Mose kuti, 2“Uwabwezere zoyipa Amidiyani chifukwa cha zimene anachitira Aisraeli. Ukatha kuchita zimenezi, iwe udzamwalira.”
3Ndipo Mose anati kwa Aisraeli, “Perekani zida kwa ena mwa anthu anu kuti akamenyane ndi Amidiyani ndi kuwabwezera choyipa mʼmalo mwa Yehova. 4Mutumize ku nkhondoko amuna 1,000 kuchokera ku fuko lililonse la Aisraeli.” 5Choncho amuna okwana 12,000 anatenga zida kukonzekera nkhondo, anthu 1,000 kuchokera ku fuko lililonse la Aisraeli. 6Mose anawatumiza ku nkhondo, anthu 1,000 kuchokera ku fuko lililonse pamodzi ndi Finehasi mwana wa Eliezara wansembe amene ananyamula zipangizo zochokera ku malo wopatulika ndi malipenga okaliza.
7Iwo anamenyana ndi Amidiyani monga momwe Yehova analamulira Mose ndipo anapha mwamuna aliyense. 8Mwa anthu ophedwawo munali Evi, Rekemu, Zuri, Huri ndi Reba, mafumu asanu a Amidiyani. Ndipo anaphanso ndi lupanga Balaamu mwana wa Beori. 9Aisraeli anagwira ukapolo amayi a Chimidiyani ndi ana awo ndipo analandanso ngʼombe, ziweto zawo zina zonse ndi katundu wawo yense. 10Anawotcha mizinda yonse imene Amidiyani ankakhalamo pamodzi ndi misasa yawo yonse. 11Anatenga zonse zimene analanda ku nkhondoko, anthu ndi zoweta zomwe. 12Ndipo anabwera nawo akapolowo ndi zolanda ku nkhondozo kwa Mose ndi kwa wansembe Eliezara ndi kwa gulu lonse la Aisraeli ku misasa yawo ku chigwa cha Mowabu, mʼmbali mwa mtsinje wa Yorodani ku Yeriko.
13Mose, wansembe Eliezara ndi atsogoleri onse a gululo anapita kukakumana nawo kunja kwa misasa. 14Mose anakwiya nawo akuluakulu a magulu a ankhondowo: olamulira 1,000 ndi olamulira 100, amene ankachokera ku nkhondo.
15Iye anafunsa kuti, “Kodi nʼchifukwa chiyani mwawaleka amoyo amayi onsewa?” 16Paja iwo ndi amene ankatsatira uphungu wa Balaamu ndiponso ndi amene anachititsa Aisraeli kuti asiye Yehova pa zimene zinachitika ku Peori, kotero mliri unagwera anthu a Yehova. 17Tsopano iphani munthu wamwamuna aliyense. Ndiponso iphani mayi aliyense amene anagonapo ndi mwamuna, 18koma sungani mtsikana aliyense amene sanagonepo ndi mwamuna.
19“Inu nonse amene mwaphapo wina wake, kapena kukhudza aliyense amene anaphedwa mukhale kunja kwa msasa masiku asanu ndi awiri. Pa tsiku lachitatu mudziyeretse nokha pamodzi ndi akapolo anu. 20Muyeretsenso zovala zanu ndi china chilichonse chopangidwa ndi chikopa, ubweya wa mbuzi kapenanso ndi mtengo.”
21Tsono wansembe Eliezara anati kwa asilikali amene anapita ku nkhondo aja, “Lamulo limene Yehova anapereka kwa Mose ndi ili: 22Golide, siliva, mkuwa, chitsulo, chiwaya, mtovu 23ndi china chilichonse chimene sichingapse ndi moto muchidutsitse pa moto, ndipo chidzayeretsedwa. Komanso chiyeretsedwe ndi madzi oyeretsa. Ndipo chilichonse chimene chingapse ndi moto muchidutsitse mʼmadzimo. 24Pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwiri muchape zovala zanu ndipo mudzayera. Mukatero mutha kulowa mu msasa.”
Kugawana Zolanda ku Nkhondo
25Yehova anawuza Mose kuti, 26“Iwe ndi wansembe Eliezara ndiponso akuluakulu a mabanja a anthuwa, muwerenge anthu onse ndi ziweto zomwe zinagwidwa ku nkhondo. 27Mugawe zolanda ku nkhondozo magawo awiri, lina la ankhondo amene anapita ku nkhondo, lina la anthu onse. 28Pa gawo la ankhondowo, mutengeko gawo la Yehova, pa zofunkha 500 zilizonse mutengeko chimodzi, pa akapolo, ngʼombe, bulu ndi nkhosa. 29Utenge zimenezo pa theka la gawo la ankhondowo ndipo upereke kwa wansembe Eliezara kuti zikhale zopereka zanu kwa Yehova. 30Kuchokera pa theka la gawo la Aisraeli, utengeko cholanda chimodzi pa makumi asanu aliwonse, pa anthu, ngʼombe, abulu, nkhosa, mbuzi kapena zoweta zina. Uzipereke kwa Alevi amene ntchito yawo ndi yosamalira tenti ya Yehova.” 31Ndipo Mose ndi wansembe Eliezara anachita monga Yehova analamulira Mose.
32Zotsala pa zolanda ku nkhondo zimene ankhondowo anatenga zinali nkhosa 675,000, 33Ngʼombe 72,000, 34abulu 61,000, 35ndi atsikana omwe sanagonepo ndi mwamuna 32,000.
36Gawo la ankhondo amene anapita ku nkhondo linali:
nkhosa 337,500, 37mwa zimenezi gawo la Yehova linali 675;
38ngʼombe zinalipo 36,000 ndipo gawo la Yehova linali 72;
39abulu analipo 30,500 ndipo gawo la Yehova linali 61;
40anthu analipo 16,000 ndipo gawo la Yehova linali 32.
41Mose anapereka kwa wansembe Eliezara gawo limene linali loyenera kupereka kwa Yehova monga momwe Yehova analamulira Mose.
42Pa gawo la Aisraeli, Mose anapatula theka limodzi kuchotsa pa zolanda ku nkhondo zonse zimene zinabwera ndi ankhondo aja. 43Tsono gawo la Aisraeli linali ili: nkhosa 337,500, 44ngʼombe 36,000, 45abulu 30,500, 46anthu 16,000. 47Kuchoka pa gawo la Aisraelilo, Mose anatengapo chimodzi pa zolanda ku nkhondo makumi asanu aliwonse, anthu ndi nyama, ndipo anazipereka kwa Alevi amene ankayangʼanira tenti ya Yehova monga Yehova analamulira Mose.
48Pamenepo omwe ankayangʼanira magulu a ankhondo olamulira 1,000 ndi olamulira 100 anabwera kwa Mose, 49iwo anati kwa iye, “Ife anthu anu tawerenga ankhondo amene timawalamulira. Palibe munthu ndi mmodzi yemwe amene wasowa. 50Ndipo tabweretsa zopereka kwa Yehova zimene munthu aliyense anapeza: ziwiya zagolide, zibangiri, zigwinjiri, mphete zosindikizira, ndolo ndi mikanda kuti tichitire mwambo wopepesera machimo pamaso pa Yehova.”
51Ndipo Mose ndi wansembe Eliezara analandira kuchokera kwa atsogoleriwo golide pamodzi ndi zipangizo zonse zosula. 52Golide yense wochokera kwa atsogoleri a 1,000 ndi atsogoleri a 100 zomwe Mose ndi Eliezara anapereka ngati mphatso kwa Yehova zinali zolemera makilogalamu 200. 53Wankhondo aliyense anatenga zomwe analanda yekha ku nkhondo. 54Mose ndi Eliezara wansembe analandira golide kuchokera kwa atsogoleri a 1,000 ndi atsogoleri a 100 ndi kukamuyika mu tenti ya msonkhano ngati chikumbutso cha Aisraeli pamaso pa Yehova.
