Numbers 25:1-9

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.