Return from the War

12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept kall the women alive? 16 Look, lthese women caused the children of Israel, through the mcounsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and nthere was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore, okill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive pfor yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. 19 And as for you, qremain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and rwhoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the 1ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: 22 “Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified swith the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. 24 tAnd you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”