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Numbers 31:1–6

War Against the Midianites

31 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Seek vengeance for the Israelitesa on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm yourself from among your men for the battle, so that they will gob against Midian to mete out the vengeance of Yahweh on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of every tribe of Israel you will send to battle.” So they were assigned from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand equipped for battle. Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the battle, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the battle with them, and the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets of the blast were in his hand.

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Numbers 31:1–6 — The New International Version (NIV)

The Lord said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

Numbers 31:1–6 — English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.”

So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian. From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge.

Numbers 31:1–6 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — New Century Version (NCV)

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Pay back the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites; after that you will die.”

So Moses said to the people, “Get some men ready for war. The Lord will use them to pay back the Midianites. Send to war a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” So twelve thousand men got ready for war, a thousand men from each tribe. Moses sent those men to war; Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest was with them. He took with him the holy things and the trumpets for giving the alarm.

Numbers 31:1–6 — American Standard Version (ASV)

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah’s vengeance on Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel upon the Midianites; afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy peoples. And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm from amongst you men for military service, that they go against Midian to execute Jehovah’s vengeance upon Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, of all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. And there were levied out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand by tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand by the tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, and the holy instruments, even the alarm-trumpets in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

The Lord said to Moses, “Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors ⸤in death⸥.” 

Moses said to the people, “Some of your men must get ready to go to war against the Midianites. The Lord will use them to get even with Midian. Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 

So 1,000 men from each tribe were supplied from the divisions of Israel—12,000 men ready for war. Then Moses sent them off to war, 1,000 men from each tribe along with Phinehas, son of the priest Eleazar. Phinehas took with him the holy articles and the trumpets for the fanfare. 

Numbers 31:1–6 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Lord spoke to Moses, “Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send 1,000 men to war from each Israelite tribe.” So 1,000 were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands in Israel—12,000 equipped for war. Moses sent 1,000 from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.

Numbers 31:1–6 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your number for the war, so that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were conscripted, twelve thousand armed for battle. Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand.

Numbers 31:1–6 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Pay the people of Midian back for what they did to the Israelites. After that, you will join the members of your family who have already died.”

So Moses said to the people, “Prepare some of your men for battle. They must go to war against Midian. They will carry out the Lord’s plan to punish Midian. Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel into battle.” So Moses prepared 12,000 men for battle. There were 1,000 from each tribe. They came from the families of Israel.

Moses sent them into battle. He sent 1,000 from each tribe. The priest Phinehas went along with them. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. Phinehas took some articles from the sacred tent with him. He also took the trumpets. The trumpet blasts would tell the people what to do and when to do it.

Numbers 31:1–6 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.”

Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.


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