1 Então o Senhor falou assim a Moisés:2 Castiga os midianitas por terem levado à idolatria o povo de Israel. Depois disso terás de morrer - serás recolhido para junto dos teus.3 Moisés disse ao povo: Armem-se alguns de vocês e preparem-se para travar uma guerra de Jeová contra os midianitas para os castigar. Mobilizem mil homens de cada tribo. E assim foi feito. Foram alistadas doze mil soldados de Israel, os quais Moisés mandou para a batalha. Finéias, filho de Eleazar o sacerdote, foi quem conduziu esse exército; e os objectos sagrados acompanharam-nos, ao mesmo tempo que iam tocando as trombetas.7 E o resultado foi que todos os homens midianitas foram mortos nesse combate. Entre eles estavam os cinco reis midianitas: Evi, Requem, Zur, Hur e Reba. Também Balaão, filho de Beor, foi morto.9 Israel trouxe como cativos as mulheres e as crianças, e apoderou-se do gado e dos rebanhos deles, assim como de muita coisa variada que saquearam. Todas as povoações, cidades e aldeias foram incendiadas. Os cativos e a presa tomada foram trazidos a Moisés e a Eleazar, sacerdote, à vista de todo o povo de Israel, que estava acampado nas margens do Jordão nas planícies de Moabe, em frente a Jericó. Moisés e o sacerdote Eleazar, acompanhados de todos os chefes do povo, vieram fora do arraial ao encontro daquela tropa vitoriosa; mas aconteceu que Moisés ficou muito irado contra os oficiais do exército e os comandantes dos batalhões.15 Porque é que deixaram vivas as mulheres?, perguntou. Estas são precisamente as que, seguindo as indicações de Balaão, fizeram com que o povo de Israel adorasse os ídolos, no monte Peor, e provocaram assim aquela praga que nos destruíu! Então, matem agora todos os rapazes, e também todas as mulheres que já alguma vez se tenham deitado com um homem; as restantes deixem-nas em vida e podem levá-las convosco. Todos os que mataram alguém ou que tenham tocado num corpo morto deverão ficar fora do acampamento durante sete dias, purificando-se a si e às cativas no terceiro e no sétimo dia. Lembrem-se também de purificar as vossas roupas e tudo o que seja feito de pele de animal ou de pêlo de cabra, assim como os recipientes de madeira.21 Eleazar, sacerdote, disse para os homens que tinham combatido: Este é o regulamento que Jeová deu a Moisés: tudo o que possa suportar o fogo, tal como ouro, prata, bronze, estanho ou chumbo, deverá ser passado pelo lume, a fim de ficar ritualmente puro; além disso deve ser purificado pela água de purificação. No entanto aquilo que não suportar o calor passará apenas pela água.24 No sétimo dia lavarão os seus fatos e purificar-se-ão; só depois poderão regressar ao acampamento.25 O Senhor disse a Moisés:26 Tu e o sacerdote Eleazar, mais os líderes das tribos, deverão fazer uma lista de tudo o que foi saqueado, incluindo gente e animais; depois repartam em duas partes. Metade ficará para os homens que combateram e a outra metade será dada ao povo de Israel.28 Da metade que pertence aos homens que combateram terão de dar um tributo ao Senhor; consistirá de um em cada quinhentos, tanto dos cativos, como dos bois, dos burros e dos rebanhos capturados pelo exército. Dêem este tributo a Eleazar, o sacerdote, para que apresente ao Senhor com um gesto próprio de oferta em frente do altar. Levantem igualmente um tributo, da metade que pertence ao povo, de um em cada cinquenta também dos prisioneiros, dos rebanhos e do resto do gado, que for dado ao povo de Israel, e apresentem-no aos levitas, que têm o cargo do tabernáculo. Será a parte que lhes pertence.31 Moisés e Eleazar fizeram conforme o Senhor lhes mandou.32 O total da presa tomada aos midianitas - além da parte dada aos que combateram - foi de 675.000 ovelhas, 72.000 bois, 61.000 burros; as raparigas cativas foram 32.000.41 Tudo o que era para o Senhor foi dado a Eleazar o sacerdote, tal como Jeová mandara.47 De acordo com a vontade do Senhor, Moisés entregou um por cada cinquenta destes aos levitas.48 Os oficiais e o comandantes de batalhão vieram até Moisés e disseram-lhe: Fizemos a chamada de todos os que tinham partido a combater e verificámos que não se perdeu um só deles! Por isso trouxemos aqui uma oferta especial de gratidão ao Senhor, tomada do que recebemos - ouro, jóias, pulseiras, colares, anéis, brincos, arrecadas. Isto é para fazer expiação pelas nossas almas perante o Senhor.51 Moisés e Eleazar o sacerdote receberam esta oferta especial, da parte dos oficiais e comandantes, tendo estimado o valor total de tudo aquilo em 190 quilos de ouro. Os soldados tinham ficado também com parte do saque para eles. A oferta foi levada para o tabernáculo e conservada perante o Senhor como memorial para o povo de Israel.

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered to thy people.3 And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD on Midian.4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of 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 slew all the males.8 And they slew the kings of Midian, besides the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.10 And they burnt all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.12 And 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 at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.15 And Moses said to them, Have ye saved all the women alive?16 Behold, these 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 hath known man by lying with him.18 But all the female children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whoever hath killed any person, and whoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.20 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.21 And 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 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye 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 abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:27 And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, 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 soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:29 Take it of their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for a heave-offering of the LORD.30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them to the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had taken, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,33 And seventy two thousand beeves,34 And sixty one thousand asses,35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.36 And the half which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:37 And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy five.38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was seventy two.39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was sixty one.40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two 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 of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,43 (Now the half that pertained to the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,46 And sixteen thousand 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 to the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.48 And the officers who were over thousands of the hosts, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses:49 And they said to Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war who 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 obtained of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, 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 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.