Numbers 31:1–18

The Slaughter of Midian

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “aTake full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be bgathered to your people.”

3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may 1go against Midian to execute athe Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

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

5 So there were 1furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

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

7 So they made war against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and athey killed every male.

8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: aEvi and Rekem and bZur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed cBalaam the son of Beor with the sword.

9 The sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered.

10 Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire.

11 aThey took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast.

12 They brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

13 Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp.

14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.

15 And Moses said to them, “Have you 1spared aall the women?

16 “aBehold, these 1caused the sons of Israel, through the 2counsel of bBalaam, to 3trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord.

17 “aNow therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man 1intimately.

18 “But all the 1girls who have not known man 2intimately, 3spare for yourselves.