¹⁴ Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. ¹⁵ Moses said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? ¹⁶ These women here, on Balaam’s advice, made the Israelites act treacherously against the Lord in the affair of Peor, so that the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.^{(A) 17} Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him.^{(B) 18} But all the young girls who have not known a man by sleeping with him, keep alive for yourselves.