1And Israel abode in Shittim , and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab . 2And 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 the LORD was kindled against Israel .
God's Anger and Judgment
4And the LORD said unto Moses , Take all the heads of the people , and hang them up before the LORD against the sun , that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel . 5And Moses said unto the judges of Israel , Slay ye every one his men that were joined 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 , who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation . 7And when Phinehas , the son of Eleazar , the son of Aaron the priest , saw it , he rose up from among the congregation , and took a javelin in his hand ; 8And he went after the man of Israel into the tent , and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel , and the woman through her belly . So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel . 9And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand . 10And the LORD 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 , while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy . 12Wherefore say , Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace : 13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood ; because he was zealous for his God , and made an atonement for the children of Israel .
The Moabites and Midianites as Enemies of Israel
14Now the name of the Israelite that was slain , even that was slain with the Midianitish woman , was Zimri , the son of Salu , a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites . 15And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi , the daughter of Zur ; he was head over a people , and of a chief house in Midian . 16And the LORD 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 a prince of Midian , their sister , which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake .