Study Desk

Divide the plunder into two parts, one for those who took part in the war—who went out to battle—and the other for all the community.

"You must exact a tribute for the Lord from the fighting men who went out to battle: one life out of five hundred, from the people, the cattle, and from the donkeys and the sheep.

You are to take it from their half-share and give it to Eleazar the priest for a raised offering to the Lord .

From the Israelites' half-share you are to take one portion out of fifty of the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep—from every kind of animal—and you are to give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord 's tabernacle."

From the Israelites' share Moses took one of every fifty people and animals and gave them to the Levites who were responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

So we have brought as an offering for the Lord what each man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord ."

Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.

So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord .

Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle,

the land that the Lord subdued before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle."

So they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River."

except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.'

So the Lord 's anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before the Lord was finished.

For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction."

Then they came very close to him and said, "We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families,

For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan."

Then Moses replied, "If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord ,

So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said you would do."

but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord 's presence, just as my lord says."

Moses said to them: "If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord 's presence, and you conquer the land, then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession.