Liber Numeri 25

1 Morabatur autem eo tempore Israël in Settim, et fornicatus est populus cum filiabus Moab,

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

2 quæ vocaverunt eos ad sacrificia sua. At ille comederunt et adoraverunt deos earum.

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

3 Initiatusque est Israël Beelphegor: et iratus Dominus,

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

4 ait ad Moysen: Tolle cunctos principes populi, et suspende eos contra solem in patibulis, ut avertatur furor meus ab Israël.

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.”

5 Dixitque Moyses ad judices Israël: Occidat unusquisque proximos suos, qui initiati sunt Beelphegor.

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

6 Et ecce unus de filiis Israël intravit coram fratribus suis ad scortum Madianitidem, vidente Moyse, et omni turba filiorum Israël, qui flebant ante fores tabernaculi.

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.

7 Quod cum vidisset Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis, surrexit de medio multitudinis, et arrepto pugione,

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.

8 ingressus est post virum Israëlitem in lupanar, et perfodit ambos simul, virum scilicet et mulierem in locis genitalibus. Cessavitque plaga a filiis Israël:

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.

9 et occisi sunt viginti quatuor millia hominum.

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

10 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen:

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

11 Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis avertit iram meam a filiis Israël: quia zelo meo commotus est contra eos, ut non ipse delerem filios Israël in zelo meo.

“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.

12 Idcirco loquere ad eum: Ecce do ei pacem fœderis mei,

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

13 et erit tam ipsi quam semini ejus pactum sacerdotii sempiternum: quia zelatus est pro Deo suo, et expiavit scelus filiorum Israël.

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.”'”

14 Erat autem nomen viri Israëlitæ, qui occisus est cum Madianitide, Zambri filius Salu, dux de cognatione et tribu Simeonis.

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.

15 Porro mulier Madianitis, quæ pariter interfecta est, vocabatur Cozbi filia Sur principis nobilissimi Madianitarum.

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

16 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

So Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

17 Hostes vos sentiant Madianitæ, et percutite eos:

“Treat the Midianites as enemies and attack them,

18 quia et ipsi hostiliter egerunt contra vos, et decepere insidiis per idolum Phogor, et Cozbi filiam ducis Madian sororem suam, quæ percussa est in die plagæ pro sacrilegio Phogor.

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.”