31:1 1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 31:2 “Exact vengeance 2 for the Israelites on the Midianites 3 – after that you will be gathered to your people.” 4
31:3 So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm 5 men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute 6 the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. 31:4 You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel.” 7 31:5 So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.
31:6 So Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from every tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge 8 of the holy articles 9 and the signal trumpets. 31:7 They fought against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 10 31:8 They killed the kings of Midian in addition to those slain – Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba – five Midianite kings. 11 They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 12
31:9 The Israelites took the women of Midian captives along with their little ones, and took all their herds, all their flocks, and all their goods as plunder. 31:10 They burned 13 all their towns 14 where they lived and all their encampments.