BRAGADAYJAH
483
One
More Thing
Having
told Moses he was about to be rested and given a number of final tasks to
perform, the Lord had one final thing for Moses to do. “Avenge the children of
Israel of the Medianites, and after that you shall be gathered unto your
people.” And Moses told the people, “arm yourself as unto war and go against the
Medianites and avenge the Lord of Median.
Each tribe shall consist of a thousand men;” so there went out to war
twelve thousand armed men of war. And accompanying them was Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest with the holy instruments and the trumpet to blow in his
hand. And the men of war of Israel slew all the men of Median as the Lord instructed
Moses and they slew five of the Kings of Median including Balaam the son of
Beor with the sword.
And
the children of Israel captured all of the women and children, and took them
captives, as well as all the goods of the Medianites, and burnt all their
cities. And all their encampments with fire. And they brought all the captives
and all their goods and all the spoils to Moses and Eleazar and the
congregation of Israel unto their encampment by the plains of Moab which is by
the Jordon near Jericho.
And
as the armies of Israel drew near to the camp, Moses and Eleazar the priest and
all the princes of Israel went out to meet them outside of the camp. And Moses
was angry with the leaders of the hosts and Moses asked them, “Have you saved
all the women alive? Are these not of
the same women which caused the children of Israel to sin before the Lord in
the matter of Peor, when the Lord sent a plague among the congregation. Now, therefore commanded Moses, kill every
male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has ever known a man and
spare only the little girls that have never lain with a man, them you may keep
for yourselves.
And
all of you, continued Moses who has killed a man or touched any dead body,
remain outside the camp seven days and purify yourself and your captives. On
the third day and on the seventh day, purify all your clothes and all your
goods made of animal skin or hair and every things made of wood.”
And
Eleazar told the men of war, “the commandment of the Lord is that only such
things like gold and silver, iron and lead and anything that can pass through
the fire shall you bring into the camp.
And
after you would have washed your clothes and purified yourself and all things
with you, then you can enter the camp on the seventh day.”
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