Numbers 31:1–8

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 a“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall bbe gathered to your people.”

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

5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 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 dthe signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and ethey killed all the fmales. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—gEvi, Rekem, hZur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. iBalaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.