6. Moses sent them to war under the command of Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took charge of the sacred objects and the trumpets for giving signals.
7. They attacked Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed all the men,
8. including the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor.
9. The people of Israel captured the Midianite women and children, took their cattle and their flocks, plundered all their wealth,
10. and burnt all their cities and camps.
11. They took all the loot that they had captured, including the prisoners and the animals,
12. and brought them to Moses and Eleazar and to the community of the people of Israel, who were at the camp on the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.
13. Moses, Eleazar, and all the other leaders of the community went out of the camp to meet the army.
14. Moses was angry with the officers, the commanders of battalions and companies, who had returned from the war.
15. He asked them, “Why have you kept all the women alive?
16. Remember that it was the women who followed Balaam's instructions and at Peor led the people to be unfaithful to the Lord. That was what brought the epidemic on the Lord's people.
17. So now kill every boy and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse,
18. but keep alive for yourselves all the girls and all the women who are virgins.
19. Now all of you who have killed anyone or have touched a corpse must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and on the seventh day purify yourselves and the women you have captured.
20. You must also purify every piece of clothing and everything made of leather, goats' hair, or wood.”
21. Eleazar the priest said to the men who had returned from battle, “These are the regulations that the Lord has given to Moses.
22-23. Everything that will not burn, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead, is to be purified by passing it through fire. Everything else is to be purified by the water for purification.
24. On the seventh day you must wash your clothes; then you will be ritually clean and will be permitted to enter the camp.”
25. The Lord said to Moses,
26. “You and Eleazar, together with the other leaders of the community, are to count everything that has been captured, including the prisoners and the animals.