NUMBERS 25

While Israel was living in Shittim, the people began to commit adultery with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined himself to Baal-peor; and the anger of Yehowah flared up against Israel; 4 and Yehowah said to Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up in the sun before Yehowah, so that the heat of Yehowah's anger may be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Every one of you shall kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor.

6 And yet a man of the sons of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman among his brothers, in the sight of both Moses and all the congregation of the sons of Israel, as they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand, 8 and went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust it through both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her belly. So the plague was lifted from the sons of Israel. 9 Yet those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 And Yehowah spoke to Moses, and said, 11 Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my fury away from the sons of Israel, in that he was zealous among them with my zeal, so that I did not make an end of the sons of Israel in my zeal. 12 Therefore say, See, I give to him my covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be the covenant of an everlasting priesthood to him and his descendants after him, because he was zealous for his God, and made a reconciliation for the sons of Israel.

14 Now the name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a prince of a father's house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Kozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head over the people of a father's house in Midian.

16 And Yehowah spoke to Moses, and said, 17 Harass the Midianites, and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their wiles with which they have beguiled you in the affair of Peor, and in the matter of Kozbi the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was struck down on the day of the plague on account of Peor.