4. From each tribe of Israel send a thousand men to war.”
5. So a thousand men were chosen from each tribe, a total of 12,000 men ready for battle.
6. Moses sent them to war under the command of Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took charge of the sacred objects and the trumpets for giving signals.
7. They attacked Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed all the men,
8. including the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor.
9. The people of Israel captured the Midianite women and children, took their cattle and their flocks, plundered all their wealth,
36-40. The half-share of the soldiers was 337,500 sheep and goats, of which 675 were the tax for the Lord; 36,000 cattle for the soldiers, of which 72 were the tax for the Lord; 30,500 donkeys for the soldiers, of which 61 were the tax for the Lord; and 16,000 virgins for the soldiers, of which 32 were the tax for the Lord.
41. So Moses gave Eleazar the tax as a special contribution to the Lord, as the Lord had commanded.
42-46. The share of the community was the same as that for the soldiers: 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 virgins.
47. From this share Moses took one out of every fifty prisoners and animals, and as the Lord had commanded, gave them to the Levites who were in charge of the Lord's Tent.
48. Then the officers who had commanded the army went to Moses
49. and reported, “Sir, we have counted the soldiers under our command and not one of them is missing.
50. So we are bringing the gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces that each of us has taken. We offer them to the Lord as a payment for our lives, so that he will protect us.”
51. Moses and Eleazar received the gold, all of which was in the form of ornaments.
52. The total contribution of the officers weighed nearly 200 kilogrammes.