^8 (A)We must not indulge in sexual immorality ^(B)as some of them did, and ^(C)twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of ^(A)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might ^(B)eat food sacrificed to idols and ^(C)practice sexual immorality.

Baal Worship at Peor

25 While Israel lived in ^(A)Shittim, ^(B)the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. ^2 (C)These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. ⁴ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(D)“Take all the chiefs of the people and ^(E)hang^[a] them in the sun before the Lord, ^(F)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” ⁵ And Moses said to ^(G)the judges of Israel, ^(H)“Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

⁶ And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were ^(I)weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. ^7 (J)When Phinehas ^(K)the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand ⁸ and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. ⁹ Nevertheless, ^(L)those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

^12 (A)Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a ^(B)snare in your midst. ¹³ You shall ^(C)tear down their altars and ^(D)break their pillars and cut down their ^(E)Asherim ¹⁴ (for ^(F)you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), ^15 (G)lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they ^(H)whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and ^(I)you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and you take of ^(J)their daughters for your sons, and their daughters ^(K)whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.