1 ¶ And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab,

While Israel stayed at Shittim, the people were not faithful to the Lord and began to have sex with the daughters of Moab.

2 w ho called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

They asked the people of Israel to bring gifts to their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3 A nd Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor; and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel.

4 A nd the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the princes of the people and disjoint them before the LORD hanging them from a tree against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, kill them, and put their bodies in the bright daylight before the Lord. Then the strong anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

5 T hen Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.

So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 ¶ Then, behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

Then one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family. Moses and all the people of Israel saw this while they were crying at the door of the meeting tent.

7 A nd when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand;

When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, saw it, he rose up from among the people. He took a spear in his hand

8 a nd he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague of the sons of Israel was stayed.

and went after the man of Israel into the tent. Then he cut through the bodies of both the man of Israel and the woman. So the very bad disease that spread on the people of Israel was stopped.

9 A nd those that died in that plague were twenty-four thousand.

Those who died because of this bad disease were 24, 000.

10 T hen the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

11 P hinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the sons of Israel, being zealous for my sake among them, therefore I did not consume the sons of Israel in my jealousy.

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, has turned My anger away from the people of Israel. He was jealous with My jealousy among them, so I did not destroy the people of Israel in My jealousy.

12 B ecause of this say unto them, Behold, I establish my covenant of peace with him;

So say to them that I make My agreement of peace with Phinehas.

13 a nd he shall have, and his seed after him, even the covenant of the everlasting priesthood because he was zealous for his God and reconciled the sons of Israel.

It will be an agreement for him and his children after him that they will always be religious leaders, because he was jealous for his God, and did what he was to do to pay for the sin of the people of Israel.”

14 N ow the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a family of the tribe of Simeon.

The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu. He was a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites.

15 A nd the name of the Midianite woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, prince of peoples, of the house of the father, in Midian.

The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur. Zur was the head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

16 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

17 D eclare war on the Midianites and smite them;

“Be angry at the Midianites and fight against them.

18 f or they treated you as enemies with their wiles, with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.

For they have brought trouble to you with their false ways. They have fooled you and turned you to the wrong way. They have brought you trouble at Peor with Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister. She was killed on the day the very bad disease came because of Peor.”