Numbers 31:1-16

Living Bible

31 ^1-2 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for leading you into idolatry, and then you must die.”

³ Moses said to the people, “Some of you must take arms to wage Jehovah’s war against Midian. ^4-5 Conscript 1,000 men from each tribe.” So this was done; and out of the many thousands of Israel, 12,000 armed men were sent to battle by Moses. ⁶ Phinehas (son of Eleazar the priest) led them into battle, accompanied by the Ark,^[a] with trumpets blaring. ⁷ And every man of Midian was killed. ⁸ Among those killed were all five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. Balaam, the son of Beor, was also killed.

^9-11 Then the Israeli army took as captives all the women and children, and seized the cattle and flocks and a lot of miscellaneous booty. All of the cities, towns, and villages of Midian were then burned. ¹² The captives and other war loot were brought to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the rest of the people of Israel who were camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. ¹³ Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the people went out to meet the victorious army, ¹⁴ but Moses was very angry with the army officers and battalion leaders.

¹⁵ “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. ¹⁶ “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to worship idols on Mount Peor, and they are the cause of the plague that destroyed us.