Numbers 25

1 While the Israelis were camped at a place called Acacia [Grove], some of the men caused themselves to become unacceptable to God by having sex with some of the women of the Moab [people-group who lived in that area].

And it remained Israel in Shittim and it began the people to commit fornication into [the] daughters of Moab.

2 Then those women invited the men to come when the sacrifices were being offered to their gods. The Israeli men [accepted]. They went to the feasts with the women and worshiped the gods of the Moab people-group.

And they invited the people to [the] sacrifices of gods their and it ate the people and they bowed down to gods their.

3 By doing that, those Israeli people joined the women in worshiping the god Baal [add] the Moab people-group thought lived on Peor Mountain. That caused Yahweh to become very angry with his people.

And it joined itself Israel to Baal Peor and it burned [the] anger of Yahweh on Israel.

4 Yahweh said this to Moses/me: “Seize all the leaders of those men who are doing this and execute them while I am watching. Do that in the daytime. After you do that, I will no longer be angry with the Israeli people.”

And he said Yahweh to Moses take all [the] leaders of the people and impale them to Yahweh before the sun so may it turn away [the] burning of [the] anger of Yahweh from Israel.

5 So Moses/I said to the other Israeli leaders, “Each of you must execute your men who have joined [others] in worshiping Baal.”

And he said Moses to [the] judges of Israel kill everyone men his who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.

6 [But later], while Moses/I and many [HYP] other people were crying at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, while they/we were watching, one of the Israeli men brought a woman from the Midian people-group into his tent [and started to have sex with her].

And there! a man from [the] people of Israel [was] coming and he brought near to brothers his the Midianite [woman] to [the] eyes of Moses and to [the] eyes of all [the] congregation of [the] people of Israel and they [were] weeping [the] entrance of [the] tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas, who was the grandson of Aaron, saw that, he grabbed a spear

And he saw [it] Phinehas [the] son of Eleazar [the] son of Aaron the priest and he arose from among the congregation and he took a spear in hand his.

8 and rushed into the man’s tent. He thrust the spear completely through the man’s body and into the woman’s belly [and killed both of them]. When he did that, the (plague/serious illness) [that had started to strike the Israelis] stopped.

And he went after [the] man of Israel into the tent and he pierced through both of them [the] man of Israel and the woman into belly her and it was restrained the plague from on [the] people of Israel.

9 But 24,000 people had already died [from that plague].

And they were those [who] died by the plague four and twenty thousand.

10 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

And he spoke Yahweh to Moses saying.

11 “Phinehas has caused me to stop being angry with the Israeli people, by being as eager as I am [to stop this sinful behavior]. I was ready to get rid of all the Israeli people because I was extremely angry, but Phinehas has prevented me from doing that.

Phinehas [the] son of Eleazar [the] son of Aaron the priest he has turned back rage my from against [the] people of Israel because was zealous he zeal my in midst of them and not I made an end of [the] people of Israel in zeal my.

12 Now tell him that I am making a special peace agreement with him.

Therefore say here I [am] about to give to him covenant my peace.

13 In this agreement, I am promising to give to him and to his descendants the right/authority to be priests. I am doing this because [he showed that] he was very eager to honor me, his God, by stopping this sinful behavior. He has caused the Israeli people to become acceptable to me again by causing them to be forgiven for their sin.”

And it will belong to him and to offspring his after him a covenant of priesthood of perpetuity because that he was zealous for God his and he made atonement on [the] people of Israel.

14 The Israeli man who was killed with the woman of the Moab people-group was named Zimri. He was the son of Salu, who was the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.

And [the] name of [the] man of Israel who was struck down who he was struck down with the Midianite [woman] [was] Zimri [the] son of Salu a leader of a house of a father of the Simeonite[s].

15 The woman’s name was Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur, who was the leader of one of the clans of the Midian people-group.

And [the] name of the woman who was struck down the Midianite [woman] [was] Cozbi [the] daughter of Zur [was] a leader of tribes a house of a father in Midian he.

16 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

And he spoke Yahweh to Moses say.

17 “[Take your men and] attack the Midian people-group and kill them.

oppose The Midianites and you will strike down them.

18 They have become your enemies, because they tricked you Israeli people and induced/persuaded many of you to worship Baal, and because [one of your men had sex with] Cozbi, who was the daughter of a leader of the Midian people-group. She was killed at the time the plague [started because the people sinned] at Peor [Mountain].”

For [are] opposers they you by deceitfulness their which they have dealt deceptively to you on [the] matter of Peor and on [the] matter of Cozbi [the] daughter of [the] leader of Midian sister their who was struck down on [the] day of the plague on [the] matter of Peor.