Numbers 25

1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit lewdness with the daughters of Moab.

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

2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods: and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.

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

3 And Israel joined himself to Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

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

4 And the LORD said to Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned 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 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined to Baal-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 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who [were] weeping [before] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw [it], he rose from among the congregation, and took a javelin 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 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly: So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

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 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

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

10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, (while he was zealous for my sake among them, ) that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

“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 Wherefore say, Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace.

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

13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, [even] the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children 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 that was slain, [even] that was slain with the Midianitish woman, [was] Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house 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 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain [was] Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he [was] head over a people, [and] of a chief house in Midian.

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

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

17 Distress the Midianites, and smite them:

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

18 For they distress you with their wiles, with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

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.”