1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2. “Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3. Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.
4. Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”
5. So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6. Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7. They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.
8. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.