Moab Seduces Israel
(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

1Now Israel, at that time, dwelt in Shittim, and the people were fornicating with the daughters of Moab, 2who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate, and they adored their gods. 3And Israel was initiated into Baal of Peor. And so the Lord, being angry, 4said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them on gallows against the sun, so that my fury may be averted from Israel.” 5And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into Baal of Peor.”

The Zeal of Phinehas

6And behold, one of the sons of Israel entered, in the sight of his brothers, to a prostitute of Midian, within view of Moses and of all the crowd of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle. 7And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, had seen it, he rose up from the midst of the multitude, and, seizing a dagger, 8he entered after the Israelite man, into the brothel, and he pierced both of them at the same time, specifically, the man and the woman at the location of their genitals. And the scourge ceased from among the sons of Israel. 9And there were slain twenty-four thousand men.

10And the Lord said to Moses: 11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted my wrath from the sons of Israel. For he was moved against them by my zeal, so that I myself, in my zeal, might not wipe away the sons of Israel. 12Because of this, say to him: Behold, I give to him the peace of my covenant. 13And the covenant of the everlasting priesthood shall be as much for him as for his offspring. For he was zealous on behalf of his God, and he has made expiation for the wickedness of the sons of Israel.”

14Now the name of the Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader from the kinship and tribe of Simeon. 15Moreover, the Midianite woman, who was put to death together with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a most noble leader among the Midianites.

16And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17“Let the Midianites perceive you as enemies, and strike them down, 18for they, too, have behaved with hostility against you, and they have deceived you insidiously by means of the idol Peor, and by Cozbi, the daughter of a commander of Midian, their sister, who was struck down in the day of the scourge because of the sacrilege of Peor.”