Liber Numeri 25
1 morabatur autem eo tempore Israhel in Setthim et fornicatus est populus cum filiabus Moab
While the Israelis were camped at a place called Acacia [Grove], some of the men caused themselves to become unacceptable to God by having sex with some of the women of the Moab [people-group who lived in that area].
2 quae vocaverunt eos ad sacrificia sua at illi comederunt et adoraverunt deos earum
Then those women invited the men to come when the sacrifices were being offered to their gods. The Israeli men [accepted]. They went to the feasts with the women and worshiped the gods of the Moab people-group.
3 initiatusque est Israhel Beelphegor et iratus Dominus
By doing that, those Israeli people joined the women in worshiping the god Baal [add] the Moab people-group thought lived on Peor Mountain. That caused Yahweh to become very angry with his people.
4 ait ad Mosen tolle cunctos principes populi et suspende eos contra solem in patibulis ut avertatur furor meus ab Israhel
Yahweh said this to Moses/me: “Seize all the leaders of those men who are doing this and execute them while I am watching. Do that in the daytime. After you do that, I will no longer be angry with the Israeli people.”
5 dixitque Moses ad iudices Israhel occidat unusquisque proximos suos qui initiati sunt Beelphegor
So Moses/I said to the other Israeli leaders, “Each of you must execute your men who have joined [others] in worshiping Baal.”
6 et ecce unus de filiis Israhel intravit coram fratribus suis ad scortum madianitin vidente Mose et omni turba filiorum Israhel qui flebant ante fores tabernaculi
[But later], while Moses/I and many [HYP] other people were crying at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, while they/we were watching, one of the Israeli men brought a woman from the Midian people-group into his tent [and started to have sex with her].
7 quod cum vidisset Finees filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis surrexit de medio multitudinis et arrepto pugione
When Phinehas, who was the grandson of Aaron, saw that, he grabbed a spear
8 ingressus est post virum israhelitem in lupanar et perfodit ambos simul virum scilicet et mulierem in locis genitalibus cessavitque plaga a filiis Israhel
and rushed into the man’s tent. He thrust the spear completely through the man’s body and into the woman’s belly [and killed both of them]. When he did that, the (plague/serious illness) [that had started to strike the Israelis] stopped.
9 et occisi sunt viginti quattuor milia homines
But 24,000 people had already died [from that plague].
10 dixitque Dominus ad Mosen
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
11 Finees filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis avertit iram meam a filiis Israhel quia zelo meo commotus est contra eos ut non ipse delerem filios Israhel in zelo meo
“Phinehas has caused me to stop being angry with the Israeli people, by being as eager as I am [to stop this sinful behavior]. I was ready to get rid of all the Israeli people because I was extremely angry, but Phinehas has prevented me from doing that.
12 idcirco loquere ad eos ecce do ei pacem foederis mei
Now tell him that I am making a special peace agreement with him.
13 et erit tam ipsi quam semini illius pactum sacerdotii sempiternum quia zelatus est pro Deo suo et expiavit scelus filiorum Israhel
In this agreement, I am promising to give to him and to his descendants the right/authority to be priests. I am doing this because [he showed that] he was very eager to honor me, his God, by stopping this sinful behavior. He has caused the Israeli people to become acceptable to me again by causing them to be forgiven for their sin.”
14 erat autem nomen viri israhelitae qui occisus est cum Madianitide Zambri filius Salu dux de cognatione et tribu Symeonis
The Israeli man who was killed with the woman of the Moab people-group was named Zimri. He was the son of Salu, who was the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.
15 porro mulier madianitis quae pariter interfecta est vocabatur Chozbi filia Sur principis nobilissimi Madianitarum
The woman’s name was Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur, who was the leader of one of the clans of the Midian people-group.
16 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
17 hostes vos sentiant Madianitae et percutite eos
“[Take your men and] attack the Midian people-group and kill them.
18 quia et ipsi hostiliter egerunt contra vos et decepere insidiis per idolum Phogor et Chozbi filiam ducis Madian sororem suam quae percussa est in die plagae pro sacrilegio Phogor
They have become your enemies, because they tricked you Israeli people and induced/persuaded many of you to worship Baal, and because [one of your men had sex with] Cozbi, who was the daughter of a leader of the Midian people-group. She was killed at the time the plague [started because the people sinned] at Peor [Mountain].”
