Numbers 25

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

And Israel at that time abode in Settim, and the people committed fornication with the daughters of Moab,

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

Who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate of them, and adored their gods.

3 Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the LORD’s anger burnt against Israel.

And Israel was initiated to Beelphegor: upon which the Lord being angry,

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

Said to Moses: Take all the princes of the people, and hang them up on gibbets against the sun: that my fury may be turned away from Israel.

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

And Moses said to the judges of Israel: Let every man kill his neighbours, that have been initiated to Beelphegor.

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.

And behold one of the children of Israel went in before his brethren to a harlot of Madian, in the sight of Moses, and of all the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

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.

And when Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest saw it, he rose up from the midst; of the multitude, and taking a dagger,

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 amongst the children of Israel.

Went in after the Israelite into the brothel house, and thrust both of them through together, to wit, the man and the woman in the genital parts. And the scourge ceased from the children of Israel:

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

And there were slain four and twenty thousand men.

10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses:

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 amongst them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.

Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel: because he was moved with my zeal against them, that I myself might not destroy the children of Israel in my zeal.

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

Therefore say to him: Behold I give him the peace of my covenant,

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.’”

And the covenant of the priesthood for ever shall be both to him and his seed, because he hath been zealous for his God, and hath made atonement for the wickedness of the children 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 amongst the Simeonites.

And the name of the Israelite, was slain with the woman of Madian, was Zambri the son of Salu, a prince the kindred and tribe of Simeon.

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.

And the Madianite woman, that was slain with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Sur, a most noble prince among the Madianites.

16 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

17 “Harass the Midianites, and strike them;

Let the Madianites find you enemies, and slay you 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.”

Because they also have acted like enemies against you, and have guilefully deceived you by the idol Phogor, and Cozbi their sister, a daughter of a prince of Madian, who was slain in the day the plague for the sacrilege of Phogor.