1 I srael settled down and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab,

2 W ho invited the to the sacrifices of their gods, and ate and bowed down to Moab’s gods.

3 S o Israel joined himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

4 A nd the Lord said to Moses, Take all the leaders or chiefs of the people, and hang them before the Lord in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.

5 A nd Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you slay his men who joined themselves to Baal of Peor.

6 A nd behold, one of the Israelites came and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and of all the congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

7 A nd when Phinehas 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

8 A nd went after the man of Israel into the inner room and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her body. Then the plague was stayed from the Israelites.

9 N evertheless those who died in the plague were 24, 000.

10 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

11 P hinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites, in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My jealousy.

12 T herefore say, Behold, I give to Phinehas the priest My covenant of peace.

13 A nd he shall have it, and his descendants after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.

14 N ow the man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a head of a father’s house among the Simeonites.

15 A nd the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was head of a father’s house in Midian.

16 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

17 P rovoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them,

18 F or they harass you with their wiles with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.