1 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2 “Pay back the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will die.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “Get some men ready for war. The Lord will use them to pay back the Midianites.
4 Send to war 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.”
5 So 12,000 men got ready for war. There were 1,000 men from each tribe.
6 Moses sent those 1,000 men from each tribe to war. Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest was with them. He took with him the holy things and the trumpets.