f Israel into sin.
The dividing of the booty.

31:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

31:2. Revenge first the children of Israel on the Madianites, and so
thou shalt be gathered to thy people.

31:3. And Moses forthwith said: Arm of you men to fight, who may take
the revenge of the Lord on the Madianites.

31:4. Let a thousand men be chosen out of every tribe of Israel to be
sent to the war.

31:5. And they gave a thousand of every tribe, that is to say, twelve
thousand men well appointed for battle.

31:6. And Moses sent them with Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest,
and he delivered to him the holy vessels, and the trumpets to sound.

31:7. And when they had fought against the Madianites and had overcome
them, they slew all the men.

31:8. And their kings Evi, and Recem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, five
princes of the nation: Balaam also the son of Beor they killed with the
sword.

31:9. And they took their women, and their children captives, and all
their cattle, and all their goods: and all their possessions they
plundered:

31:10. And all their cities, and their villages, and castles, they
burned.

31:11. And they carried away the booty, and all that they had taken both
of men and of beasts.

31:12. And they brought them to Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and to
all the multitude of the children of Israel. But the rest of the things
for use they carried to the camp on the plains of Moab, beside the
Jordan over against Jericho.

31:13. And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the
synagogue went forth to meet them without the camp.

31:14. And Moses being angry with the chief officers of the army, the
tribunes, and the centurions that were come from the battle,

31:15. Said: Why have you saved the women?

31:16. Are not these they, that deceived the children of Israel by the
counsel of Balaam, and made you transgress against the Lord by the sin
of Phogor, for which also the people was punished?

The sin of Phogor... The sin committed in the worship of Beelphegor.

31:17. Therefore kill all that are of the male sex, even of the
children: and put to death the women, that have carnally known men.

Of children... Women and children, ordinarilly speaking, were not to be
killed in war, Deut. 20.14. But the great Lord of life and death was
pleased to order it otherwise in the present case, in detestation of the
wickedness of this people, who by the counsel of Balaam, had sent t