Midian’s plot; Beelphegor; Israel’s chosen thousand wage war

which the sons of Israel were about to inherit. And when the war was already somehow near and neighboring, as about to perish at once, and not able to march out against Israel’s powers, they were attempting with magicians’ art, and with the unholy practices beside them, to shake the enemies off. And when doing all things they were wronging nothing, God shielding in front, and turning the false-seer Balaam unto blessing, although he had been hired unto the need to curse—as already come to be in the last perplexities—they were reckoning among themselves that they would not otherwise be strong to wrong Israel, unless they struck against God who stood before them, and stripped of the help from above they might, if they chose, join battle toward them. And knowing that the male is hot and easy toward the female, and that youth is not secure with the most foul pleasures unto this, they were letting down women adorned, unto conversation not decent for those from Israel, by whose beauties everything as much as was easy toward being sick with the things of flesh was most ready snatched together, and was being carried aside little by little from the worship unto God, following those women’s judgments. And they were strengthening apostasy together with the fornication. For it has been written: ‘And the people was initiated to Beelphegor.’ And this very thing God also said through prophets’ voice: ‘And the understanding people was entwined with a prostitute.’ The lawgiver therefore was indignant upon these things also most reasonably, and the matter was not without penalty for those from Israel. For they were at once in unbearable disasters through this, the fornicators being consumed by brother’s and neighbor’s hand. And God was at once outlining that war must be chosen toward Midianites, saying toward the sacred-revealer Moses: ‘Avenge the vengeance of the sons of Israel from the Midianites, and last you will be added toward your people. And Moses spoke toward the people, saying: Arm the men from you, and array opposite the Lord upon Midian, to give back vengeance to the Lord to Midian, a thousand from a tribe, and a thousand from a tribe, from all tribes of sons of Israel, send to array. And they numbered from the thousands of Israel a thousand from a tribe—twelve thousands armed unto array—and Moses sent them a thousand from a tribe, and a thousand from a tribe, with their power; and Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, and the holy vessels, and the trumpets of the signals in their hands, and they arrayed upon Midian, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male, and the kings of Midian they killed together with their wounded; and Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, and Balaam son of Beor, they killed with a sword with their wounded; and they plundered Midian’s women, and their baggage, and their cattle, and all their acquisitions, and their power they plundered, and all the cities