Numbers 25

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

And Israel at that time abode in Settim, and the people committed fornication 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 called them to their sacrifices. And they ate of them, and adored their gods.

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

And Israel was initiated to Beelphegor: upon which the Lord being angry,

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.”

Said to Moses: Take all the princes of the people, and hang them up on gibbets against the sun: that my fury may be turned 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.”

And Moses said to the judges of Israel: Let every man kill his neighbours, that have been initiated to Beelphegor.

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.

And behold one of the children of Israel went in before his brethren to a harlot of Madian, in the sight of Moses, and of all the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

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.

And when Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest saw it, he rose up from the midst; of the multitude, and taking a dagger,

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.

Went in after the Israelite into the brothel house, and thrust both of them through together, to wit, the man and the woman in the genital parts. And the scourge ceased from the children of Israel:

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

And there were slain four and twenty thousand men.

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

And 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.

Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel: because he was moved with my zeal against them, that I myself might not destroy the children of Israel in my zeal.

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

Therefore say to him: Behold I give him the peace of my covenant,

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.”'”

And the covenant of the priesthood for ever shall be both to him and his seed, because he hath been zealous for his God, and hath made atonement for the wickedness of the children of Israel.

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.

And the name of the Israelite, was slain with the woman of Madian, was Zambri the son of Salu, a prince the kindred and tribe of Simeon.

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 Madianite woman, that was slain with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Sur, a most noble prince among the Madianites.

16 So Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and attack them,

Let the Madianites find you enemies, and slay you them:

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.”

Because they also have acted like enemies against you, and have guilefully deceived you by the idol Phogor, and Cozbi their sister, a daughter of a prince of Madian, who was slain in the day the plague for the sacrilege of Phogor.