1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2. “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.”
3. Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of your men for war, and let them go against the Midianites to give the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.
4. A thousand from each tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you will send to the war.”
5. So there were delivered from the thousands of Israel a thousand of each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6. Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy vessels and the trumpets to sound the alarm in his hand.
7. They waged war against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
8. They killed the kings of Midian, in addition to the rest of those who were killed: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
9. The children of Israel returned with the women of Midian and their children and took their livestock, and all their flocks, and all their wealth for plunder.