The Slaughter of Midian

31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” ³ Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may ^[a]go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. ⁴ A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” ⁵ So there were ^[b]furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. ⁶ Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. ⁷ So they made war against Midian, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.