⁴ Moab said to the elders of ^(A)Midian, “Now this ^[a]horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

¹⁵ The name of the Midianite woman who was ^[a]slain was ^(A)Cozbi the daughter of ^(B)Zur, ^[b]who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “^(C)Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them; ¹⁸ for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.”

The Slaughter of Midian

31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “^(A)Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be ^(B)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 ^(C)the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.