14. But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, who served in the war.
15. And Moses said to them, Have you let all the women live?
16. Behold, these caused the Israelites by the counsel of Balaam to trespass and act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a [smiting] plague came among the congregation of the Lord. [Num. 25:1-9; 31:8.]
17. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who is not a virgin.
18. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.
19. Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.
20. You shall purify every garment, all that is made of skins, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood.
21. And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses:
22. Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23. Everything that can stand fire, you shall make go through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water of impurity; and all that cannot stand fire [such as fabrics] you shall pass through water.
24. And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and you shall be clean; then you shall come into the camp.
25. And the Lord said to Moses,
26. Take the count of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation.
27. Divide the booty into two [equal] parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.
28. And levy a tribute to the Lord from the warriors who went to battle, one out of every 500 of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, and the flocks.
29. Take [this tribute] from the warriors' half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord.
30. And from the Israelites' half [of the booty] you shall take one out of every fifty of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, the flocks, and of all livestock, and give them to the Levites who have charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.