1
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began
to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,
2
who invited them to the sarifices to their god.
The people are and bowed down before these gods.
3
So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.
And the LORD's anger burned against them.
4
The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people,
kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord,
so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."
5
So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death
those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of
Peor."
6
Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman
right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel
while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
7
When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest,
saw this, he left the assembly, took a sp[ear in his hand
8
and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear
through both of them - through the Israelite and into
woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites stopped;
9
but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
10
The LORD said to Moses,
11
"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has
turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as
zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my
zeal I did not put an end to them.
12
Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace
with him.
13
He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting
priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of
his God and made atonements for the Israelites."
14
The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite
woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite
family.
15
And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to
death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a
Midianite family.
16
The LORD said to Moses,
17
"Treat the Midinites as enemies and kill them,
18
because they treated you as enemies when they deceived
you in the affair of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the
daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed
when the plague came as a result of Peor."
"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has
turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as
zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my
zeal I did not put an end to them.
12
Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace
with him.