Numbers 31

31 ¹Our Papa tell Moses sey,

²"Take revenge for di Israel people against di Midian people; after dat, dem go gather you to your people."

³So Moses tell di people sey, "Make some men among una carry weapon for war, to go against Midian and carry out our Papa im justice on Midian. ⁴Make una send 1,000 from each of di tribes of Israel go di war." ⁵So from Israel im thousands, dem supply 1,000 for each tribe—12,000 men wey carry weapon for war. ⁶Moses send dem go war, 1,000 from each tribe, together with Phinehas di pikin of Eleazar di priest, wey carry di holy things of di sanctuary and di signal trumpets for im hand. ⁷Dem fight war against Midian, just as our Papa don command Moses, and dem kill every man. ⁸Among di people wey dem kill, dem kill di kings of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, di five kings of Midian—and dem kill Balaam di pikin of Beor with sword. ⁹Di people of Israel capture di women and children of Midian, and dem carry away all dia livestock, dia flocks, and dia goods. ¹⁰Dem burn with fire all di cities wey dem dey live and all dia camps, ¹¹and dem take all di spoil and all di plunder, both people and animals. ¹²Dem bring di captives, di plunder, and di spoil come Moses, Eleazar di priest, and di whole assembly of Israel, for di camp for di plains of Moab wey dey near di Jordan, opposite Jericho. ¹³Moses, Eleazar di priest, and all di leaders of di assembly comot go meet dem outside di camp. ¹⁴But Moses vex with di officers of di army, di commanders of thousands and di commanders of hundreds, wey come back from di battle. ¹⁵Moses ask dem sey, "You don allow all di women make dem live? ¹⁶See, na dis women, through Balaam im advice, lead Israel to betray our Papa for di Peor matter, wey bring di plague come di congregation of our Papa. ^a a v16 Di Peor matter: dem lure di Israel men into Baal worship and immorality, wey bring a deadly plague come di camp (see Numbers 25). ¹⁷So now, kill every male child, and kill every woman wey don sleep with man. ¹⁸But keep alive for una own self every young girl wey never sleep with man.

¹⁹Stay outside di camp for seven days. Anybody wey kill person or touch dead body must purify himself for di third day and di seventh day—una and una captives. ²⁰Purify every cloth, every leather thing, everything wey dem make with goat hair, and every wood thing."

²¹Eleazar di priest tell di soldiers wey go war sey, "Dis na di statute of di law wey our Papa command Moses: ²²na only di gold, di silver, di bronze, di iron, di tin, and di lead. ²³Everything wey fit stand fire, pass am through di fire—e go clean. But dem still must purify am with di water of purification. Anything wey no fit stand fire, pass am through di water. ²⁴Wash una clothes for di seventh day, and una go clean; after dat una fit enter di camp."

Dem Count di Plunder

²⁵Our Papa tell Moses sey,

²⁶"You, Eleazar di priest, and di family heads of di community, count di plunder wey dem take, both people and animals. ²⁷Divide di plunder into two: between di fighters wey go battle and di whole congregation. ²⁸From di soldiers wey go out to battle, take a tax for me: one out of every 500—people, cattle, donkeys, and flocks. ²⁹Take am from dia half and give am to Eleazar di priest as a contribution to me. ³⁰From di Israel people dia half, take one out of every fifty—from di people, cattle, donkeys, flocks, and all di animals—and give dem to di Levites wey dey keep charge of my tabernacle."

³¹Moses and Eleazar di priest do just as our Papa don command Moses. ³²Di plunder wey remain from di spoil wey di army don take na 675,000 sheep, ³³72,000 cattle, ³⁴61,000 donkeys, ³⁵and 32,000 persons in all—di women wey never sleep with man. ³⁶Di half wey belong to dem wey go war come to 337,500 sheep, ³⁷and di tribute to our Papa from di sheep na 675. ³⁸Di cattle na 36,000, and di tribute to our Papa from dem na 72. ³⁹Di donkeys na 30,500, and di tribute to our Papa from dem na 61. ⁴⁰Di persons na 16,000, and di tribute to our Papa from dem na 32. ⁴¹Moses give di tribute, our Papa im contribution, to Eleazar di priest, just as our Papa command am. ⁴²As for di Israel people dia half, wey Moses don set apart from di own of di men wey fight, ⁴³di half of di congregation na 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶and 16,000 persons. ⁴⁷From di Israel people dia half, Moses take one out of every fifty—both people and animals—and give dem to di Levites wey dey in charge of our Papa im tabernacle, just as our Papa don command Moses.

⁴⁸Di officers wey dey over di units of di army, di commanders of thousands and di commanders of hundreds, come meet Moses, ⁴⁹and dem tell am sey, "Your servants don count di fighting men wey dey under our command; not even one of us dey missing. ⁵⁰So we don bring our Papa an offering—wetin each man find: gold things, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, beads—to make atonement for ourselves before our Papa."

⁵¹Moses and Eleazar di priest collect from dem di gold, all di crafted things. ⁵²All di gold of di contribution wey dem present to our Papa, from di commanders of thousands and di commanders of hundreds, come to about 420 pounds. ⁵³Each of di men of war don take plunder for himself. ⁵⁴Moses and Eleazar di priest take di gold from di commanders of thousands and hundreds and carry am enter di tent of meeting as a reminder for di Israel people before our Papa.