1. And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
2. Avenge the Bnei Yisroel of the Midyanim; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3. And Moshe spoke unto HaAm, saying, Arm some of your anashim unto war, let them go against Midyan, and avenge Hashem of Midyan.
4. Of every matteh a thousand, throughout kol mattot Yisroel, shall ye send to war.
5. So there were supplied out of the thousands of Yisroel, an elef (a thousand) of every matteh, sheneym asar elef armed for war.
6. And Moshe sent them to war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Pinchas Ben Eleazar HaKohen, to the war, with the kelei hakodesh, and the tzotzerot hateru'ah in his yad.
7. And they warred against Midyan, just, as Hashem commanded Moshe; and they slaughtered kol zachar.
8. And they slaughtered the Melachim of Midyan, besides the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Chur, and Reva, five melachim of Midyan; Balaam Ben Beor also they slaughtered with the cherev.
9. And the Bnei Yisroel took all the nashim of Midyan captive, and their little ones, and took the plunder of all their behemah, and all their mikneh, and all their goods.
10. And they burned with eish all their towns wherein were their moshavot, and all their camps.
11. And they took all the plunder, and all the spoil, both of adam and of behemah.
12. And they brought the captives, and the plunder, and the spoil, unto Moshe, and Eleazar HaKohen, and unto the Adat Bnei Yisroel, unto the machaneh at the plains of Moav, which are by Yarden near Yericho.
13. And Moshe, and Eleazar HaKohen, and all the nasiim of the Edah, went forth to meet them outside the machaneh.
14. And Moshe was in wrath with the pekudei hechayil (officers of the army), with the sarim over thousands, and sarim over hundreds, which were returning from the milchamah of the army.
15. And Moshe said unto them, Have ye saved all the nekevah alive?
16. Hinei, these caused the Bnei Yisroel, through the davar Balaam, to turn unfaithful against Hashem in the matter of Peor, and there was a magefah (plague) among the Adat Hashem.
17. Now therefore slaughter every zakhar among the little ones, and kill every isha that hath known ish by lying with zakhar.