1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2. “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3. Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.
4. Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”
5. So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6. Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the shofars for the alarm in his hand.
7. They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses. They killed every male.
8. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9. The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.
10. All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.
11. They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.
12. They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13. Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.
14. Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
15. Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
16. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord.
17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
18. But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19. “Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.