Numbers 25

1 Israel stayed in Shittim, and the men began to prostitute themselves with women of Moab,

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,

2 for the Moabites had invited the people to the sacrifices to their gods. So the people ate and bowed down to Moabite gods.

who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.

3 The men of Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel.

So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.

4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Kill all the leaders of the people and hang them up before me to expose them in the daylight, so that my fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to Israel's leaders, “Each of you must execute his people who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

6 Then one of the men of Israel came and brought among his family members a Midianite woman. This happened in the sight of Moses and all the community of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw that, he rose up from among the community and took a spear in his hand.

On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

8 He followed the Israelite man into the tent and thrust the spear through both of their bodies, both the Israelite man and the woman. So a plague that God had sent on the people of Israel stopped.

followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,

9 Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned my rage away from the people of Israel because he was passionate with my zeal among them. So I have not consumed the people of Israel in my fierceness.

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.

12 Therefore say, 'Yahweh says, “Look, I am giving to Phinehas my covenant of peace.

Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace.

13 For him and his descendants after him, it will be a covenant of an everlasting priesthood because he was zealous for me, his God. He has atoned for the people of Israel.”'”

It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

14 Now the name of the Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of an ancestor's family among the Simeonites.

The name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.

15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Kozbi daughter of Zur, who was head of a tribe and family in Midian.

And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

16 So Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

And the LORD said to Moses,

17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and attack them,

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

18 for they treated you like enemies with their deceitfulness. They led you into evil in the case of Peor and in the case of their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a leader in Midian, who was killed on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”

For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”