21. Then Eleazar the priest spoke to the soldiers. He said, “These are the rules that the Lord gave to Moses for soldiers coming back from war.
22-23. You must put gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead into the fire and then wash these things with the special water to make them pure. If something can be put in the fire, you must put it in fire to purify it. If things cannot be put in fire, you must still wash them with the special water.
24. On the seventh day you must wash all of your clothes. Then you will be pure. After that you can come into camp.”
25. Then the Lord said to Moses,
26. “You, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders should count all the prisoners, animals, and everything the soldiers took in war.
27. Then divide these things between the soldiers who went to war and the rest of the Israelites.
28. Take part of these things from the soldiers who went to war. That part will belong to the Lord. His share is one from every 500 items. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, and sheep.
29. Take that share from the soldiers’ half of the things they took in war. Then give these things to Eleazar the priest. That part will belong to the Lord.