Nombres (NAB) 23
23 1 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars, and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me here."2 So he did as Balaam had ordered, offering a bullock and a ram on each altar. And Balak said to him, "I have erected the seven altars, and have offered a bullock and a ram on each."3 Balaam then said to him, "Stand here by your holocaust while I go over there. Perhaps the LORD will meet me, and then I will tell you whatever he lets me see." He went out on the barren height,4 and God met him.5 When he had put an utterance in Balaam's mouth, the LORD said to him, "Go back to Balak, and speak accordingly."6 So he went back to Balak, who was still standing by his holocaust together with all the princes of Moab.7 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: From Aram has Balak brought me here, Moab's king, from the Eastern Mountains: "Come and lay a curse for me on Jacob, come and denounce Israel." 8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the heights I behold him. Here is a people that lives apart and does not reckon itself among the nations. 10 Who has ever counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered Israel's wind-borne particles? May I die the death of the just, may my descendants be as many as theirs!
11 "What have you done to me?" cried Balak to Balaam. "It was to curse my foes that I brought you here; instead, you have even blessed them."12 Balaam replied, "Is it not what the LORD puts in my mouth that I must repeat with care?"
13 Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from which you can see only some and not all of them, and from there curse them for me." 14 So he brought him to the lookout field on the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bullock and a ram on each of them.15 Balaam then said to Balak, "Stand here by your holocaust, while I seek a meeting over there."16 Then the LORD met Balaam, and having put an utterance in his mouth, he said to him, "Go back to Balak, and speak accordingly."17 So he went back to Balak, who was still standing by his holocaust together with the princes of Moab. When Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?"18 Balaam gave voice to his oracle: Be aroused, O Balak, and hearken; give ear to my testimony, O son of Zippor!19 God is not man that he should speak falsely, nor human, that he should change his mind. Is he one to speak and not act, to decree and not fulfill?20 It is a blessing I have been given to pronounce; a blessing which I cannot restrain.21 Misfortune is not observed in Jacob, nor misery seen in Israel. The LORD, his God, is with him; with him is the triumph of his King. 22 It is God who brought him out of Egypt, a wild bull of towering might. 23 No, there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor omen against Israel. It shall yet be said of Jacob, and of Israel, "Behold what God has wrought!"24 Here is a people that springs up like a lioness, and stalks forth like a lion; It rests not till it has devoured its prey and has drunk the blood of the slain.
25 "Even though you cannot curse them," said Balak to Balaam, "at least do not bless them."26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not warn you that I must do all that the LORD tells me?"27 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me bring you to another place; perhaps God will approve of your cursing them for me from there."28 So he took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks Jeshimon.29 Balaam then said to him, "Here build me seven altars; and here prepare for me seven bullocks and seven rams."30 And Balak did as Balaam had ordered, offering a bullock and a ram on each altar.
24 1 Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the desert.2 When he raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him,3 and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true,4 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:5 How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel!6 They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the LORD.7 His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; His king shall rise higher than.... and his royalty shall be exalted.8 It is God who brought him out of Egypt, a wild bull of towering might. He shall devour the nations like grass, their bones he shall strip bare.9 He lies crouching like a lion, or like a lioness; who shall arouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you!
10 Balak beat his palms together in a blaze of anger at Balaam and said to him, "It was to curse my foes that I summoned you here; yet three times now you have even blessed them instead! 11 Be off at once, then, to your home. I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has withheld the reward from you!"12 Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not warn the very messengers whom you sent to me,13 'Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord to anything, good or evil, contrary to the command of the LORD'? Whatever the LORD says I must repeat.14 "But now that I am about to go to my own people, let me first warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come."
15 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true,16 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured and with eyes unveiled.17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel, That shall smite the brows of Moab, and the skulls of all the Shuthites, 18 Till Edom is dispossessed, and no fugitive is left in Seir. Israel shall do valiantly,19 and Jacob shall overcome his foes.20 Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam gave voice to his oracle: First of the peoples was Amalek, but his end is to perish forever. 21 Upon seeing the Kenites, he gave voice to his oracle: Your abode is enduring, O smith, and your nest is set on a cliff; 22 Yet destined for burning-- even as I watch-- are your inhabitants.23 Upon seeing.... he gave voice to his oracle: Alas, who shall survive of Ishmael, 24 to deliver his people from the hands of the Kittim? When they have conquered Asshur and conquered Eber, He too shall perish forever.25 Then Balaam set out on his journey home; and Balak also went his way.
25 1 While Israel was living at Shittim, the people degraded themselves by having illicit relations with the Moabite women. 2 These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices and worshiped their god.3 When Israel thus submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor, the LORD'S anger flared up against Israel,4 and he said to Moses, "Gather all the leaders of the people, and hold a public execution of the guilty ones before the LORD, that his blazing wrath may be turned away from Israel." 5 So Moses told the Israelite judges, "Each of you shall kill those of his men who have submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor."6 Yet a certain Israelite came and brought in a Midianite woman to his clansmen in the view of Moses and of the whole Israelite community, while they were weeping at the entrance of the meeting tent. 7 When Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, and taking a lance in hand,8 followed the Israelite into his retreat where he pierced the pair of them, the Israelite and the woman. Thus the slaughter of Israelites was checked;9 but only after twenty-four thousand had died.10 Then the LORD said to Moses,11 "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger from the Israelites by his zeal for my honor among them; that is why I did not put an end to the Israelites for the offense to my honor. 12 Announce, therefore, that I hereby give him my pledge of friendship,13 which shall be for him and for his descendants after him the pledge of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous on behalf of his God and thus made amends for the Israelites."14 The Israelite slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, prince of an ancestral house of the Simeonites. 15 The slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who was head of a clan, an ancestral house, in Midian.16 The LORD then said to Moses, 17 "Treat the Midianites as enemies and crush them,18 for they have been your enemies by their wily dealings with you as regards Peor and as regards their kinswoman Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, who was killed at the time of the slaughter because of Peor."19 After the slaughter
26 1 the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar; son of Aaron the priest,2 "Take a census, by ancestral houses, throughout the community of the Israelites of all those of twenty years or more who are fit for military service in Israel."3 So on the plains of Moab along the Jericho stretch of the Jordan, Moses and the priest Eleazar registered4 those of twenty years or more, as the LORD had commanded Moses. The Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt were as follows:5 Of Reuben, the first-born of Israel, the Reubenites by clans were: through Hanoch the clan of the Hanochites, through Pallu the clan of the Palluites,6 through Hezron the clan of the Hezronites, through Carmi the clan of the Carmites.7 These were the clans of the Reubenites, of whom forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty men were registered.8 From Pallu descended Eliab,9 and the descendants of Eliab were Dathan and Abiram-the same Dathan and Abiram, councilors of the community, who revolted against Moses and Aaron (like Korah's band when it rebelled against the LORD).10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them as a warning (Korah too and the band that died when the fire consumed two hundred and fifty men.11 The descendents of Korah, however, did not die out).12 The Simeonites by clans were: through Nemuel the clan of the Nemuelites, through Jamin the clan of the Jaminites, through Jachin the clan of the Jachinites, 13 through Sohar the clan of the Soharites, through Shaul the clan of the Shaulites.14 These were the clans of the Simeonites, of whom twenty-two thousand two hundred men were registered.15 The Gadites by clans were: through Zephon the clan of the Zephonites, through Haggi the clan of the Haggites, through Shuni the clan of the Shunites,16 through Ozni the clan of the Oznites, through Eri the clan of the Erites,17 through Arod the clan of the Arodites, through Areli the clan of the Arelites.18 These were the clans of the Gadites, of whom forty thousand five hundred men were registered.19 The sons of Judah who died in the land of Canaan were Er and Onan. 20 The Judahites by clans were: through Shelah the clan of the Shelahites, through Perez the clan of the Perezites, through Zerah the clan of the Zerahites.21 The Perezites were: through Hezron the clan of the Hezronites, through Hamul the clan of the Hamulites.22 These were the clans of Judah, of whom seventy-six thousand five hundred men were registered.23 The Issacharites by clans were: through Tola the clan of the Tolaites, through Puvah the clan of the Puvahites,24 through Jashub the clan of the Jashubites, through Shimron the clan of the Shimronites.25 These were the clans of Issachar, of whom sixty-four thousand three hundred men were registered.26 The Zebulunites by clans were: through Sered the clan of the Seredites, through Elon the clan of the Elonites, through Jahleel the clan of the Jahleelites.27 These were the clans of the Zebulunites, of whom sixty thousand five hundred men were registered.28 The sons of Joseph were Manasseh and Ephraim.29 The Manassehites by clans were: through Machir the clan of the Machirites, through Gilead, a descendant of Machir, the clan of the Gileadites.30 The Gileadites were: through Abiezer the clan of the Abiezrites, through Helek the clan of the Helekites,31 through Asriel the clan of the Asrielites, through Shechem the clan of the Shechemites,32 through Shemida the clan of the Shemidaites, through Hepher the clan of the Hepherites.33 Zelophehad, son of Hepher, had no sons, but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.34 These were the clans of Manasseh, of whom fifty-two thousand seven hundred men were registered.35 The Ephraimites by clans were: through Shuthelah the clan of the Shuthelahites, through Becher the clan of the Bechrites, through Tahan the clan of the Tahanites.36 The Shuthelahites were: through Eran the clan of the Eranites.37 These were the clans of the Ephraimites, of whom thirty-two thousand five hundred men were registered. These were the descendants of Joseph by clans.38 The Benjaminites by clans were: through Bela the clan of the Belaites, through Ashbel the clan of the Ashbelites, through Ahiram the clan of the Ahiramites,39 through Shupham the clan of the Shuphamites, through Hupham the clan of the Huphamites.40 The descendants of Bela were Arad and Naaman: through Arad the clan of the Aradites, through Naaman the clan of the Naamanites.41 These were the Benjaminites by clans, of whom forty-five thousand six hundred men were registered.42 The Danites by clans were: through Shuham the clan of the Shuhamites. These were the clans of Dan,43 of whom sixty-four thousand four hundred men were registered.44 The Asherites by clans were: through Imnah the clan of the Imnites, through Ishvi the clan of the Ishvites, through Beriah the clan of the Beriites,45 through Heber the clan of the Heberites, through Malchiel the clan of the Malchielites.46 The name of Asher's daughter was Serah.47 These were the clans of Asher, of whom fifty-three thousand four hundred men were registered.48 The Naphtalites by clans were: through Jahzeel the clan of the Jahzeelites, through Guni the clan of the Gunites,49 through Jezer the clan of the Jezerites, through Shillem the clan of the Shillemites.50 These were the clans of Naphtali, of whom forty-five thousand four hundred men were registered.51 These six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty were the Israelites who were registered.52 The LORD said to Moses, 53 "Among these groups the land shall be divided as their heritage in keeping with the number of individuals in each group.54 To a large group you shall assign a large heritage, to a small group a small heritage, each group receiving its heritage in proportion to the number of men registered in it.55 But the land shall be divided by lot, as the heritage of the various ancestral tribes.56 As the lot falls shall each group, large or small, be assigned its heritage."57 The Levites registered by clans were: through Gershon the clan of the Gershonites, through Kohath the clan of the Kohathites, through Merari the clan of the Merarites.58 These also were clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. Among the descendants of Kohath was Amram,59 whose wife was named Jochebed. She also was of the tribe of Levi, born to the tribe in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the LORD.62 The total number of male Levites one month or more of age, who were registered, was twenty-three thousand. They were not registered with the other Israelites, however, for no heritage was given them among the Israelites.63 These, then, were the men registered by Moses and the priest Eleazar in the census of the Israelites taken on the plains of Moab along the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.64 Among them there was not a man of those who had been registered by Moses and the priest Aaron in the census of the Israelites taken in the desert of Sinai.65 For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.
27 1 Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph, had daughters named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They came forward,2 and standing in the presence of Moses, the priest Eleazar, the princes, and the whole community at the entrance of the meeting tent, said:3 "Our father died in the desert. Although he did not join those who banded together against the LORD (in Korah's band), he died for his own sin without leaving any sons. 4 But why should our father's name be withdrawn from his clan merely because he had no son? Let us, therefore, have property among our father's kinsmen."5 When Moses laid their case before the LORD, 6 the LORD said to him,7 "The plea of Zelophehad's daughters is just; you shall give them hereditary property among their father's kinsmen, letting their father's heritage pass on to them.8 Therefore, tell the Israelites: If a man dies without leaving a son, you shall let his heritage pass on to his daughter;9 if he has no daughter, you shall give his heritage to his brothers;10 if he has no brothers, you shall give his heritage to his father's brothers;11 if his father had no brothers, you shall give his heritage to his nearest relative in his clan, who shall then take possession of it." This is the legal norm for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.
12 The LORD said to Moses, "Go up here into the Abarim Mountains and view the land that I am giving to the Israelites. 13 When you have viewed it, you too shall be taken to your people, as was your brother Aaron,14 because in the rebellion of the community in the desert of Zin you both rebelled against my order to manifest my sanctity to them by means of the water." (This is the water of Meribah of Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)15 Then Moses said to the LORD,16 "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, set over the community a man 17 who shall act as their leader in all things, to guide them in all their actions; that the LORD'S community may not be like sheep without a shepherd."18 And the LORD replied to Moses, "Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hand upon him. 19 Have him stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar and of the whole community, and commission him before their eyes.20 Invest him with some of your own dignity, that the whole Israelite community may obey him.21 He shall present himself to the priest Eleazar, to have him seek out for him the decisions of the Urim in the LORD'S presence; and as he directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him, and the community as a whole shall perform all their actions." 22 Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking Joshua and having him stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar and of the whole community,23 he laid his hands on him and gave him his commission, as the LORD had directed through Moses.
28 1 The LORD said to Moses,2 "Give the Israelites this commandment: At the times I have appointed, you shall be careful to present to me the food offerings that are offered to me as sweet-smelling oblations.3 "You shall tell them therefore: This is the oblation which you shall offer to the LORD: two unblemished yearling lambs each day as the established holocaust, 4 offering one lamb in the morning and the other during the evening twilight,5 each with a cereal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil of crushed olives. 6 This is the established holocaust that was offered at Mount Sinai as a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.7 And as the libation for the first lamb, you shall pour out to the LORD in the sanctuary a fourth of a hin of wine. 8 The other lamb, to be offered during the evening twilight, you shall offer with the same cereal offering and the same libation as in the morning, as a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.
9 "On the sabbath day you shall offer two unblemished yearling lambs, with their cereal offering, two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and with their libations.10 Each sabbath there shall be the sabbath holocaust in addition to the established holocaust and its libation.
11 "On the first of each month you shall offer as a holocaust to the LORD two bullocks, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs, 12 with three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as the cereal offering for each bullock, two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as the cereal offering for the ram,13 and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as the cereal offering for each lamb, that the holocaust may be a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.14 Their libations shall be half a hin of wine for each bullock, a third of a hin for the ram, and a fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the new moon holocaust for every new moon of the year.15 Moreover, one goat shall be sacrificed as a sin offering to the LORD. These are to be offered in addition to the established holocaust and its libation.
16 "On the fourteenth day of the first month falls the Passover of the LORD, 17 and the fifteenth day of this month is the pilgrimage feast. For seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.18 On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly, and do no sort of work.19 As an oblation you shall offer a holocaust to the LORD, which shall consist of two bullocks, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished,20 with their cereal offerings of fine flour mixed with oil; offering three tenths of an ephah for each bullock, two tenths for the ram,21 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs;22 and offer one goat as a sin offering in atonement for yourselves.23 These offerings you shall make in addition to the established morning holocaust:24 you shall make exactly the same offerings each day for seven days as food offerings, in addition to the established holocaust with its libation, for a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.25 On the seventh day you shall hold a sacred assembly, and do no sort of work.
26 "On the day of first fruits, on your feast of Weeks, when you present to the LORD the new cereal offering, you shall hold a sacred assembly, and do no sort of work. 27 You shall offer as a sweet-smelling holocaust to the LORD two bullocks, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished,28 with their cereal offerings of fine flour mixed with oil; offering three tenths of an ephah for each bullock, two tenths for the ram,29 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs.30 Moreover, one goat shall be offered as a sin offering in atonement for yourselves.31 You shall make these offerings, together with their libations, in addition to the established holocaust with its cereal offering.
29 1 "On the first day of the seventh month you shall hold a sacred assembly, and do no sort of work; it shall be a day on which you sound the trumpet. 2 You shall offer as a sweet-smelling holocaust to the LORD one bullock, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs,3 with their cereal offerings of fine flour mixed with oil; offering three tenths of an ephah for the bullock, two tenths for the ram,4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs.5 Moreover, one goat shall be offered as a sin offering in atonement for yourselves.6 These are to be offered in addition to the ordinary new-moon holocaust with its cereal offering, and in addition to the established holocaust with its cereal offering, together with the libations prescribed for them, as a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.
7 "On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall hold a sacred assembly, and mortify yourselves, and do no sort of work. 8 You shall offer as a sweet-smelling holocaust to the LORD one bullock, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished,9 with their cereal offerings of fine flour mixed with oil; offering three tenths of an ephah for the bullock, two tenths for the ram,10 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs.11 Moreover, one goat shall be sacrificed as a sin offering. These are to be offered in addition to the atonement sin offering, the established holocaust with its cereal offering, and their libations.
12 "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall hold a sacred assembly, and do no sort of work; then, for seven days following, you shall celebrate a pilgrimage feast to the LORD. 13 You shall offer as a sweet-smelling holocaust to the LORD thirteen bullocks, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs that are unblemished, 14 with their cereal offerings of fine flour mixed with oil; offering three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bullocks, two tenths for each of the two rams,15 and one tenth for each of the fourteen lambs.16 Moreover, one goat shall be sacrificed as a sin offering. These are to be offered in addition to the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.17 "On the second day you shall offer twelve bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,18 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,19 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.20 "On the third day you shall offer eleven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,21 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,22 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.23 "On the fourth day you shall offer ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,24 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,25 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.26 "On the fifth day you shall offer nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,27 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,28 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.29 "On the sixth day you shall offer eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,30 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,31 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.32 "On the seventh day you shall offer seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen unblemished yearling lambs,33 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,34 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.35 "On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn meeting, and do no sort of work. 36 You shall offer up in holocaust as a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD one bullock, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs,37 with their cereal offerings and libations as prescribed for the bullocks, rams and lambs in proportion to their number,38 as well as one goat for a sin offering, besides the established holocaust with its cereal offering and libation.39 "These are the offerings you shall make to the LORD on your festivals, besides whatever holocausts, cereal offerings, libations, and peace offerings you present as your votive or freewill offerings."
30 1 Moses then gave the Israelites these instructions, just as the LORD had ordered him.
2 Moses said to the heads of the Israelite tribes, "This is what the LORD has commanded:3 When a man makes a vow to the LORD or binds himself under oath to a pledge of abstinence, he shall not violate his word, but must fulfill exactly the promise he has uttered. 4 "When a woman, while still a maiden in her father's house, makes a vow to the LORD, or binds herself to a pledge,5 if her father learns of her vow or the pledge to which she bound herself and says nothing to her about it, then any vow or any pledge she has made remains valid.6 But if on the day he learns of it her father expresses to her his disapproval, then any vow or any pledge she has made becomes null and void; and the LORD releases her from it, since her father has expressed to her his disapproval.7 "If she marries while under a vow or under a rash pledge to which she bound herself,8 and her husband learns of it, yet says nothing to her that day about it, then the vow or pledge she had made remains valid.9 But if on the day he learns of it her husband expresses to her his disapproval, he thereby annuls the vow she had made or the rash pledge to which she had bound herself, and the LORD releases her from it.10 The vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, or any pledge to which such a woman binds herself, is valid.11 "If it is in her husband's house that she makes a vow or binds herself under oath to a pledge, 12 and her husband learns of it yet says nothing to express to her his disapproval, then any vow or any pledge she has made remains valid.13 But if on the day he learns of them her husband annuls them, then whatever she has expressly promised in her vow or in her pledge becomes null and void; since her husband has annulled them, the LORD releases her from them.14 "Any vow or any pledge that she makes under oath to mortify herself, her husband can either allow to remain valid or render null and void.15 But if her husband, day after day, says nothing at all to her about them, he thereby allows as valid any vow or any pledge she has made; he has allowed them to remain valid, because on the day he learned of them he said nothing to her about them.16 If, however, he countermands them some time after he first learned of them, he is responsible for her guilt." 17 These are the statutes which the LORD prescribed through Moses concerning the relationship between a husband and his wife, as well as between a father and his daughter while she is still a maiden in her father's house.
31 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites, and then you shall be taken to your people."3 So Moses told the people, "Select men from your midst and arm them for war, to attack the Midianites and execute the LORD'S vengeance on them.4 From each of the tribes of Israel you shall send a band of one thousand men to war."5 From the clans of Israel, therefore, a thousand men of each tribe were levied, so that there were twelve thousand men armed for war.6 Moses sent them out on the campaign, a thousand from each tribe, with Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest for the campaign, who had with him the sacred vessels and the trumpets for sounding the alarm.7 They waged war against the Midianites, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male among them.8 Besides those slain in battle, they killed the five Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba; and they also executed Balaam, son of Beor, with the sword. 9 But the Israelites kept the women of the Midianites with their little ones as captives, and all their herds and flocks and wealth as spoil,10 while they set on fire all the towns where they had settled and all their encampments.11 Then they took all the booty, with the people and beasts they had captured, and brought the captives, together with the spoils and booty,12 to Moses and the priest Eleazar and to the Israelite community at their camp on the plains of Moab, along the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.
13 When Moses and the priest Eleazar, with all the princes of the community, went outside the camp to meet them,14 Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the clan and company commanders, who were returning from combat.15 "So you have spared all the women!" he exclaimed.16 "Why, they are the very ones who on Balaam's advice prompted the unfaithfulness of the Israelites toward the LORD in the Peor affair, which began the slaughter of the LORD'S community.17 Slay, therefore, every male child and every woman who has had intercourse with a man. 18 But you may spare and keep for yourselves all girls who had no intercourse with a man.19 "Moreover, you shall stay outside the camp for seven days, and those of you who have slain anyone or touched anyone slain in battle shall purify yourselves on the third and on the seventh day. This applies both to you and to your captives.20 You shall also purify every article of cloth, leather, goats' hair, or wood."21 Eleazar the priest told the soldiers who had returned from combat: "This is what the law, as prescribed by the LORD to Moses, ordains:22 Whatever can stand fire, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead,23 you shall put into the fire, that it may become clean; however, it must also be purified with lustral water. But whatever cannot stand fire you shall put into the water. 24 On the seventh day you shall wash your clothes, and then you will again be clean. After that you may enter the camp."
25 The LORD said to Moses:26 "With the help of the priest Eleazar and of the heads of the ancestral houses, count up all the human captives and the beasts that have been taken;27 then divide them evenly, giving half to those who took active part in the war by going out to combat, and half to the rest of the community. 28 You shall levy a tax for the LORD on the warriors who went out to combat: one out of every five hundred persons, oxen, asses and sheep29 in their half of the spoil you shall turn over to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the LORD.30 From the Israelites' half you shall take one out of every fifty persons, and the same from the different beasts, oxen, asses and sheep, and give them to the Levites, who have charge of the LORD'S Dwelling."31 So Moses and the priest Eleazar did this, as the LORD had commanded Moses.32 This booty, what was left of the loot which the soldiers had taken, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,33 seventy-two thousand oxen,34 sixty-one thousand asses,35 and thirty-two thousand girls who were still virgins.36 The half that fell to those who had gone out to combat was: three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,37 of which six hundred and seventy-five fell as tax to the LORD;38 thirty-six thousand oxen, of which seventy-two fell as tax to the LORD;39 thirty thousand five hundred asses, of which sixty-one fell as tax to the LORD;40 and sixteen thousand persons, of whom thirty-two fell as tax to the LORD.41 The taxes contributed to the LORD, Moses gave to the priest Eleazar, as the LORD had commanded him.42 The half for the other Israelites, which fell to the community when Moses had taken it from the soldiers, was:43 three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,44 thirty-six thousand oxen,45 thirty thousand five hundred asses,46 and sixteen thousand persons.47 From this, the Israelites' share, Moses, as the LORD had ordered, took one out of every fifty, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites, who had charge of the LORD'S Dwelling.48 Then the officers who had been clan and company commanders of the army came up to Moses49 and said to him, "Your servants have counted up the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.50 So, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD, each of us will bring as an offering to the LORD some gold article he has picked up, such as an anklet, a bracelet, a ring, an earring, or a necklace." 51 Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted this gold from them, all of it in well-wrought articles.52 The gold that they gave as a contribution to the LORD amounted in all to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. This was from the clan and company commanders;53 what the common soldiers had looted each one kept for himself.54 Moses, then, and the priest Eleazar accepted the gold from the clan and company commanders, and put it in the meeting tent as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.
Nombres (NAB) 23