Numbers 25

The Sin of Peor

1While Israel remained at 1Shittim, the people began 2to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. 2For 3they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3So 4Israel 5became followers of 6Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. 4And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and 7execute them 8in broad daylight before the Lord, 9so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you 10kill his men who have 11become followers of 12Baal of Peor.”

6Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a 13Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, 14while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 715When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8and he went after the man of Israel into the inner room of the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through the abdomen. 16So the plague on the sons of Israel was brought to a halt. 917But those who died from the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11“18Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was 19jealous with My 20jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel 21in My 22jealousy. 12Therefore say, ‘23Behold, I am giving him My 24covenant of peace; 13and it shall be for him and for his 25descendants after him, a covenant of a 26permanent priesthood, because he was 27jealous for his God and 28made atonement for the sons of Israel.’”

14Now the name of the 29dead man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was 30Cozbi the daughter of 31Zur, 32who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

16Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17“33Be hostile to the Midianites and attack them; 18for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor.”