31:1–54 Vengeance against the Midianites for their efforts to seduce the Israelites into idol worship and sexual immorality (ch. 25) is undertaken. This narrative deals particularly with details concerning the plunder taken from the Midianites. Because the plunder of war had to be handled in a fashion that preserved the holiness of God and of the people, the principles stated here helped prepare the Israelites for the coming conquest of the land.