1And Israel abode in Shittim ; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab : 2for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor : and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel .
God's Anger and Judgment
4And Jehovah said unto Moses , Take all the chiefs of the people , and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun , that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel . 5And Moses said unto the judges of Israel , Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor .
Phinehas' Zeal and the Covenant of Peace
6And , behold , one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish 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 . 7And when Phinehas , the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest , saw it , he rose up from the midst of the congregation , and took a spear in his hand ; 8and 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 stayed from the children of Israel . 9And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10And Jehovah spake unto Moses , saying , 11Phinehas , the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest , hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel , in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them , so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy . 12Wherefore say, Behold , I give unto him my covenant of peace : 13and it shall be unto him , and to his seed after him , the covenant of an everlasting priesthood ; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel .
The Moabites and Midianites as Enemies of Israel
14Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain , who was slain with the Midianitish woman , was Zimri , the son of Salu , a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites . 15And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi , the daughter of Zur ; he was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian . 16And Jehovah spake unto Moses , saying , 17Vex the Midianites , and smite them ; 18for they vex you with their wiles , wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor , and in the matter of Cozbi , the daughter of the prince of Midian , their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor .