Numbers 31:1-9 ▼

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

2 “Execute the vengeance of the sons of Israel against the Midianites—afterward you are gathered to your people.”

3 And Moses speaks to the people, saying, “Arm men from [among] you for the war, and they are against Midian, to put the vengeance of YHWH on Midian;

4 one thousand for a tribe—you send one thousand for a tribe, of all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”

5 And there are given out of the thousands of Israel one thousand for a tribe—twelve thousand armed ones [for] war;

6 and Moses sends them, one thousand for a tribe, to the war; [he sent] them and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the war, with the holy vessels and the trumpets of shouting in his hand.

7 And they war against Midian, as YHWH has commanded Moses, and slay every male;

8 and they have slain the kings of Midian besides their pierced ones: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba—five kings of Midian; and they have slain Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

9 And the sons of Israel take the women of Midian and their infants captive; and they have plundered all their livestock, and all their substance, and all their wealth;