Numbers 31:1-20

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“1Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be 2gathered to your people.” 3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may 3go against Midian to execute 4the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. 4A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” 5So there were 5furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, 6and the holy vessels and 7the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7So they made war against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and 8they killed every male. 8They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: 9Evi and Rekem and 10Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed 11Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9The sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered. 10Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire. 1112They took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast. 12They brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

13Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. 14Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 15And Moses said to them, “Have you 13spared 14all the women? 1615Behold, these 16caused the sons of Israel, through the 17counsel of 18Balaam, to 19trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. 1720Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man 21intimately. 18But all the 22girls who have not known man 23intimately, 24spare for yourselves. 1925And you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day. 20You shall purify for yourselves every garment and every article of 26leather and all the work of goats’ hair, and all articles of wood.”