Numbers 25

1 Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab;

Israel stayed in Shittim, and the men began to prostitute themselves with women of Moab,

2 for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.

for the Moabites had invited the people to the sacrifices to their gods. So the people ate and bowed down to Moabite gods.

3 Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel.

The men of Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel.

4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Kill all the leaders of the people and hang them up before me to expose them in the daylight, so that my fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

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

So Moses said to Israel's leaders, “Each of you must execute his people who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

6 Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Then one of the men of Israel came and brought among his family members a Midianite woman. This happened in the sight of Moses and all the community of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.

When Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw that, he rose up from among the community and took a spear in his hand.

8 He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.

He followed the Israelite man into the tent and thrust the spear through both of their bodies, both the Israelite man and the woman. So a plague that God had sent on the people of Israel stopped.

9 Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.

“Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned my rage away from the people of Israel because he was passionate with my zeal among them. So I have not consumed the people of Israel in my fierceness.

12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace.

Therefore say, 'Yahweh says, “Look, I am giving to Phinehas my covenant of peace.

13 It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’”

For him and his descendants after him, it will be a covenant of an everlasting priesthood because he was zealous for me, his God. He has atoned for the people of Israel.”'”

14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites.

Now the name of the Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of an ancestor's family among the Simeonites.

15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.

The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Kozbi daughter of Zur, who was head of a tribe and family in Midian.

16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

So Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

17 “Harass the Midianites, and strike them;

“Treat the Midianites as enemies and attack them,

18 for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”

for they treated you like enemies with their deceitfulness. They led you into evil in the case of Peor and in the case of their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a leader in Midian, who was killed on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”