1. The Lord spoke to Moses and said,
2. “Moses, tell the Israelites this: ‘Go and attack the Midianites, and do to them what they did to you.’ After that Moses, you will die.”
3. So Moses spoke to the people. He said, “Choose some of your men to be soldiers. The Lord will use these men to do to the Midianites what they did to you.
4. Choose 1000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.
5. There will be a total of 12,000 soldiers from the tribes of Israel.”
6. Moses sent these 12,000 men to war. He sent Phinehas son of Eleazar with them as the priest. Phinehas took the holy things and the horns and trumpets with him.
7. The Israelites fought the Midianites as the Lord had commanded. They killed all the Midianite men.