1And while Israel stayed in Acacia, the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab, 2Who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. 3And Israel joined in the worship of Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. 4And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill and hang them up in broad daylight before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD is turned away from Israel.” 5And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Put to death every one of your people who joined in worshipping Baal-peor.”

6And then, one of the Israelites brought into the camp a Midianite woman, right in front of Moses, and all the Israelite congregation, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle of meeting. 7And when Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, saw it, he jumped up, left the assembly, took a javelin in his hand; 8And he followed that Israelite into the tent, and thrust them both through – both the man of Israel, and the woman through her abdomen. And so the plague against the Israelites was stopped, 9But not before twenty-four thousand died in the plague.

1010Then the LORD said to Moses, 11“Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites, since he was zealous for My honor among them, so that I did not consume all the children of Israel in My zealous anger. 12Therefore tell him that I am making My covenant of peace with him: 13In this covenant, he and his descendants after him, shall have an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”

14The name of that Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, a leader of the tribe of Simeon. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed with him was Cozbi, daughter of Zur; who was a leader over the Midianites.

16And the LORD told Moses, 17“Attack the Midianites, and kill them, 18Because they deceived and seduced Israel in the Peor incident, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was slain when the plague came as a result of that incident.”