Numbers 25

1 Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute 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 for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. 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 Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the LORD’s anger burnt against Israel.

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

4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to the LORD before the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD 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 Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves 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 Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of 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, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, 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 went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped amongst 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 Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

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

10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy amongst them, so that I didn’t consume 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 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace.

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

13 It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made 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 man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house amongst 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 slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ 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 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

17 “Harass the Midianites, and strike them;

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

18 for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain 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.”