Israel's War against Midian
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Before you die, make sure that the Midianites are punished for what they did to Israel.”
3 Then Moses told the people, “The Lord wants to punish the Midianites. So tell our men to prepare for battle. 4 Each tribe will send 1,000 men to fight.”
5 Twelve thousand men were picked from the tribes of Israel, and after they were prepared for battle, 6 Moses sent them off to war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar went with them and took along some things from the sacred tent and the trumpets for sounding the battle signal.
7 The Israelites fought against the Midianites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. They killed all the men, 8 including Balaam son of Beor and the five Midianite kings, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. 9 The Israelites captured every woman and child, then led away the Midianites' cattle and sheep, and took everything else that belonged to them. 10 They also burned down the Midianite towns and villages.
11 Israel's soldiers gathered together everything they had taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals. 12-13 Then they returned to their own camp in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, where Moses, Eleazar, and the other Israelite leaders met the troops outside camp.
14 Moses became angry with the army commanders 15 and said, “I can't believe you let the women live! 16 They are the ones who followed Balaam's advice and invited our people to worship the god Baal Peor. That's why the Lord punished us by killing so many of our people. 17 You must put to death every boy and all the women who have ever had sex. 18 But do not kill the young women who have never had sex. You may keep them for yourselves.”
19 Then Moses said to the soldiers, “If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean. 20 Then wash your clothes and anything made from animal skin, goat's hair, or wood.”
21-23 Eleazar then explained, “If you need to purify something that won't burn, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead, you must first place it in a hot fire. After you take it out, sprinkle it with the water that purifies. Everything else should only be sprinkled with the water. Do all of this, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 24 Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and after that, you will be clean and may return to the camp.”
Everything Taken from the Midianites Is Divided
25 The Lord told Moses:
26-27 Make a list of everything taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals. Then divide them between the soldiers and the rest of the people. Eleazar the priest and the family leaders will help you.
28-29 From the half that belongs to the soldiers, set aside for the Lord one out of every 500 people or animals and give these to Eleazar.
30 From the half that belongs to the people, set aside one out of every 50 and give these to the Levites in charge of the sacred tent.
31 Moses and Eleazar followed the Lord's instructions 32-35 and listed everything that had been taken from the Midianites. The list included 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 young women who had never had sex.
36-47 Each half included 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 young women. From the half that belonged to the soldiers, Moses counted out 675 sheep and goats, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 women and gave them to Eleazar to be dedicated to the Lord. Then from the half that belonged to the people, Moses set aside one out of every 50 animals and women, as the Lord had said, and gave them to the Levites.
48 The army commanders went to Moses 49 and said, “Sir, we have counted our troops, and not one soldier is missing. 50 So we want to give the Lord all the gold jewelry we took from the Midianites. It's our gift to him for watching over us and our troops.”
51 Moses and Eleazar accepted the jewelry from the commanders, 52 and its total weight was over 200 kilograms. 53 This did not include the things that the soldiers had kept for themselves. 54 So Moses and Eleazar placed the gold in the Lord's sacred tent to remind Israel of what had happened.
Kuzwibgwilizila kwe Baiziraela ku Bamidiyani
1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Bgwilizila Bamidiyani tjabakathama mu Baiziraela, shule kwa ikoku, unowofa.”
3 Ngono Mushe kadwa bathu be Iziraela kati, “Muzwilulwamisile babhayani munogwa ne Bamidiyani, Yahwe babgwilizilile tjabakathamwa ne Bamidiyani. 4 Dusani balume bali tjiwulu tjing'ompela (1 000) mu ludzi gumwe ne gumwe gwe Iziraela bayende ku ngwa.”
5 Ndizo muna bali zwiwulu be Baiziraela kukashalugwa balume bali tjiwulu tjing'ompela (1 000) koga, mu ludzi gumwe ne gumwe, bose bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina bubili (12 000) bakazwilulwamisila kuyenda ku ngwa. 6 Mushe wakabatumila kungwa bali tjiwulu kudwa mu ludzi gumwe ne gumwe, bakatungamigwa ne mpirisiti Finihasi nkololo wa Eleazari akabhata zwija zwe bugalo gwakayengemala ne lunyanga gunolaula ngwa. 7 Bakagwa ne Bamidiyani Yahwe sekwa bakadwa Mushe, ngono bakabulaya balume bose, 8 bakabulayilanya kose na bomambo babo bashanu Evi na Rekemu na Zuri na Huri na Reba na pezhugwi kwa ibaba bakabulaya na Bhalamu nkololo wa Bheyori nge thumo. 9 Bathu be Iziraela bakatapa bakadzi ne bana be Midiyani, bakazwitolegwa zwithuwo ne thundu yabo yose. 10 Bakapisa mizi mikulu yose mu magalo abakabe baligele ne makotokelo abo wose. 11 Bakatola zose zwakatapiwa zwabakawana nge ngwa, bathu kose ne zwithuwo. 12 Bakazwizhisa kuna Mushe neku mpirisiti Eleazari ne gubungano le Iziraela lakabe lakotokela mu lubala gwe Moabu seli kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani kulingisana ne Jerikho.
Babhayani banoshanduka ku ngwa
13 Mushe ne mpirisiti Eleazari ne batungamili bose be gubungano le bathu be Iziraela bakabhuda bakanobashanganidza kuzhe kwe bukotokelo. 14 Ngono Mushe kazhala bushongola ngekwe balauli be babhayani ne balauli be babhayani be bali zwiwulu ne balauli be babhayani be bali mazana, bakabe babuya ku ngwa. 15 Kababhuzwa kati, “Apa makaletja bakadzi betjila kene? 16 Bonani, Bakadzi ndibo bakateedza gumbuludzo la Bhalamu ku Peori bakathama kuti bathu be Iziraela bathamile Yahwe mbipo. Ngono tjiga tjikazha mu gubungano la Yahwe. 17 Ndizo ngwenu, bulayani bana bose be tjilume, mube mubulaya bakadzi bose bakatongo walilana. 18 Koga muzwisiyile baanadi bose basathu bakawalilana. 19 Mmwe ne mmwe wabulaya nthu ne mmwe ne mmwe wabhata itumbu anokotokela kuzhe kwe bukotokelo kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka. Mu zhuba le butatu ne muzhuba le butendeka, muzwitjenepadze imwi ne bakadzi bamakatapa. 20 Mutjenapadze tjiambalo tjimwe ne tjimwe, ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakathamwa nge ganda ne tjakathamwa nge bukuse gwe mbudzi kene nge lukuni.”
21 Mpirisiti Eleazari kadwa balume bakabe bayenda ku ngwa kati, “Nlayo wakapiwa Mushe ndi Yahwe ndi woyu: 22 Zose zwakathamwa nge golide ne siliva ne phangula ne tshipi ne nge ntodo, 23 nenge tjimwe ne tjimwe tjisingake tjikatshwa mu moto, mutjibabe nge moto, ngono tjowotjenapala. Nenguba kwakajalo, mutjitjenapadze nge vula inotjenapadza. Ne tjingatshwa nge moto, mutjisuke nge vula. 24 Mube musuka zwiambalo zwenyu mu zhuba le butendeka, ngono mowobe matjenapala. Ngono shule kwa ipapo mowodumigwa kungina mu bukotokelo.”
Thubukanyiwa kwe zwakatapiwa
25 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 26 “Iwe ne mpirisiti Eleazari ne batungamili be misha mu gubungano, mubale zose zwakatapiwa, bathu kose ne zwithuwo. 27 Mukobanye zwakatapiwa kabili, muzwikobele bakabe bayenda ku ngwa ne gubungano lose. 28 Ngono mutolele Yahwe lukhetho mu babhayani bakabe bayenda ku ngwa, mutole tjing'ompela mu mazana ali mashanu (500) e bathu kene ng'ombe kene madonki kene pkhwizi kene mbudzi. 29 Mutole gwamu le bubili mu gobe labo mupe Eleazari ili tjipo tjinopiwa Yahwe. 30 Mu gobe le bathu be Iziraela, mutole tjing'ompela mu makumi mashanu mamwe ne mamwe e bathu kene ng'ombe kene madonki kene ngubi ye pkhwizi, mu zwithuwo zose, muzwipe Balevi ibo bashingili be bugalo gwa Yahwe.” 31 Mushe na Eleazari bakathama sekwa kadwiwa Mushe ndi Yahwe.
32 Ipapo muna zwakabe zwatapiwa nge babhayani bakabe bayenda ku ngwa kwakasala, pkhwizi dzili zwiwulu zwili mazana ali matathatu ana makumi ali kutendeka ana dzili shanu (675 000) 33 ne ng'ombe dzili zwiwulu zwili makumi ali kutendeka ana mbili (72 000) 34 ne madonki ali zwiwulu zwili makumi matathatu ana ing'ompela (61 000) 35 ne bakadzi bakabe basathu bakawalilana bali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu ana kubili (32 000). 36 Ngono gwamu lakabe gobe le babhayani bakabe bayenda ku ngwa dzakabe pkhwizi dzili zwiwulu zwili mazana matatu ana makumi matatu ana dzili kutendeka ne mazana mashanu (337 500). 37 Ngono lukhetho gwa Yahwe kwakabe pkhwizi dzili mazana ali matathatu ana makumi ali kutendeka ana dzili shanu (675). 38 Ng'ombe dzakabe dzili zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu ana dzili tathatu (36 000) mudzili lukhetho gwa Yahwe gwakabe guli ng'ombe dzili makumi ali kutendeka ana kubili (72). 39 Madonki akabe ali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu ana mazana ali mashanu (30 500), muali lukhetho gwa Yahwe gwakabe guli madonki ali makumi ali kutathatu ana kung'ompela (61). 40 Bathu bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina kutathatu (16 000), mubali bali makumi matatu ana kubili (32) bakabe lukhetho gwa Yahwe. 41 Ngono Mushe katola zwakabe zwili lukhetho gwa Yahwe kazwipa Eleazari Yahwe sekwa bakabe badwa Mushe.
42 Mushe wakatola gwamu muna zwakabe zwili zwe babhayani bakabe bayenda ku ngwa epa bathu be Iziraela sa woku: 43 Pkhwizi dzili zwiwulu zwili mazana matatu ana makumi matatu ana kutendeka ana mazana ali mashanu (337 500) 44 ne ng'ombe dzili zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu ana kutathatu (36 000) 45 ne madonki ali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu ana mazana ali mashanu (30 500) 46 ne bathu bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina kutathatu (16 000) 47 mu gwamu le bathu be Iziraela Mushe wakatola tjili tjing'ompela mu makumi mashanu mamwe ne mamwe epa Balevi bakabe bali batjengeti be bugalo gwa Yahwe, koga sekwa bakabe badwa Mushe.
48 Ndizo batungamili bakabe bakatungamila babhayani ne balauli be babhayani bali zwiwulu ne balauli be babhayani bali mazana bakayenda kuna Mushe, 49 bakandwa bakati, “Balanda benyu babala babhayani ba pasi kwenyu, ngono akuna ne nng'ompela wakatilashikila. 50 Ngono tazhisa zwipo kuna Yahwe, zwadwa mu mmwe ne mmwe wedu, zwitimbi zwe golide, maseka e maboko, rin'gi dze zwinyala, mang'ina e zebe ne zwitimbi, kuzwithamila gadzano mbeli kwa Yahwe.” 51 Mushe ne mpirisiti Eleazari bakaamutjila golide mubali ne mikhabo yose yakathugwa. 52 Golide yose yakadusiwa nge balauli be babhayani bali zwiwulu ne balauli be babhayani bali mazana yakadusiwa kupiwa Yahwe yakabe ingabe bulemo gwe tjilizanyo tje seme dzili mazana mabili (200). 53 Babhayani bakabe bayenda ku ngwa bakazwitolegwa zwakabe zwatapiwa ku ngwa. 54 Ngono Mushe na Eleazari we mpirisiti, bakaamutjila golide mu balauli be babhayani bali zwiwulu ne balauli be babhayani bali mazana. Bakaibiga mu nshasha we bushanganilo, ili tjikumbuludzo mu bathu be Iziraela mbeli kwa Yahwe.