Numbers 25

1 Nowe whiles Israel abode in Shittim, the people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab:

Now Israel, at that time, dwelt in Shittim, and the people were fornicating with the daughters of Moab,

2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed downe to their gods.

who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate, and they adored their gods.

3 And Israel coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor: wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel:

And Israel was initiated into Baal of Peor. And so the Lord, being angry,

4 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Take all the heades of the people, and hang them vp before the Lord against ye sunne, that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel.

said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them on gallows against the sun, so that my fury may be averted from Israel.”

5 Then Moses sayd vnto the Iudges of Israel, Euery one slay his men that were ioyned vnto Baal Peor.

And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into Baal of Peor.”

6 And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought vnto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the Congregation of the children of Israel, who wept before the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

And behold, one of the sons of Israel entered, in the sight of his brothers, to a prostitute of Midian, within view of Moses and of all the crowd of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

7 And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest sawe it, hee rose vp from the middes of the Congregation, and tooke a speare in his hand,

And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, had seen it, he rose up from the midst of the multitude, and, seizing a dagger,

8 And followed ye man of Israel into the tent, and thrust them both through: to wit, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly: so the plague ceased from the children of Israel.

he entered after the Israelite man, into the brothel, and he pierced both of them at the same time, specifically, the man and the woman at the location of their genitals. And the scourge ceased from among the sons of Israel.

9 And there died in that plague, foure and twentie thousand.

And there were slain twenty-four thousand men.

10 Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses:

11 Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel, while hee was zealous for my sake among them: therefore I haue not consumed the children of Israel in my ielousie.

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted my wrath from the sons of Israel. For he was moved against them by my zeal, so that I myself, in my zeal, might not wipe away the sons of Israel.

12 Wherefore say to him, Beholde, I giue vnto him my couenant of peace,

Because of this, say to him: Behold, I give to him the peace of my covenant.

13 And he shall haue it, and his seede after him, euen the couenant of the priestes office for euer, because he was zealous for his God, and hath made an atonement for the children of Israel.

And the covenant of the everlasting priesthood shall be as much for him as for his offspring. For he was zealous on behalf of his God, and he has made expiation for the wickedness of the sons of Israel.”

14 And the name of the Israelite thus slayne, which was killed with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri the sonne of Salu, prince of the familie of the Simeonites.

Now the name of the Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader from the kinship and tribe of Simeon.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman, that was slayne, was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head ouer the people of his fathers house in Midian.

Moreover, the Midianite woman, who was put to death together with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a most noble leader among the Midianites.

16 Againe ye Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

17 Vexe the Midianites, and smite them:

“Let the Midianites perceive you as enemies, and strike them down,

18 For they trouble you with their wiles, wherewith they haue beguiled you as concerning Peor, and as concerning their sister Cozbi ye daughter of a prince of Midian, which was slayne in the day of the plague because of Peor.

for they, too, have behaved with hostility against you, and they have deceived you insidiously by means of the idol Peor, and by Cozbi, the daughter of a commander of Midian, their sister, who was struck down in the day of the scourge because of the sacrilege of Peor.”