Moses confronts the officers

13Then Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp.

14And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who were coming from the service of the war.

15Moses said to them, “Have you kept alive every female?”

16Look, these women were the ones who, at Balaam’s word, caused the sons of Israel to act unfaithfully against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague came upon the congregation of Yahweh.

17So now, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him.

18But keep alive for yourselves every young girl among the women who has not known the bed of a man.