Numbers 25

New International Version

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,^(A) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality^(B) with Moabite^(C) women,^(D) ²who invited them to the sacrifices^(E) to their gods.^(F) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³So Israel yoked themselves to^(G) the Baal of Peor.^(H) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders^(I) of these people, kill them and expose^(J) them in broad daylight before the Lord,^(K) so that the Lord’s fierce anger^(L) may turn away from Israel.”

⁵So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death^(M) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”^(N)

⁶Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite^(O) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping^(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷When Phinehas^(Q) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear^(R) in his hand ⁸and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;^(S) ⁹but those who died in the plague^(T) numbered 24,000.^(U)

¹⁰The Lord said to Moses, ¹¹“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.^(V) Since he was as zealous for my honor^(W) among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. ¹²Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace^(X) with him. ¹³He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood,^(Y) because he was zealous^(Z) for the honor^(AA) of his God and made atonement^(AB) for the Israelites.”^(AC)

¹⁴The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman^(AD) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.^(AE) ¹⁵And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi^(AF) daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.^(AG)

¹⁶The Lord said to Moses,^(AH) ¹⁷“Treat the Midianites^(AI) as enemies^(AJ) and kill them.^(AK) ¹⁸They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident^(AL) involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

Psalm 68

New International Version

Psalm 68^[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise,^(A) may his enemies be scattered;^(B)
    may his foes flee^(C) before him.
²May you blow them away like smoke—^(D)
    as wax melts^(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish^(F) before God.
³But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice^(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,^(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds^[b]^(I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.^(J)
⁵A father to the fatherless,^(K) a defender of widows,^(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.^(M)
⁶God sets the lonely^(N) in families,^[c]^(O)
    he leads out the prisoners^(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.^(Q)

⁷When you, God, went out^(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,^[d]^(S)
⁸the earth shook,^(T) the heavens poured down rain,^(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,^(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.^(W)
⁹You gave abundant showers,^(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,^(Y) God, you provided^(Z) for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:^(AA)
¹²“Kings and armies flee^(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.^(AC)
¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[e]^(AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴When the Almighty^[f] scattered^(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.^(AF)

¹⁵Mount Bashan,^(AG) majestic mountain,^(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses^(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?^(AJ)
¹⁷The chariots^(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;^(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[g]
¹⁸When you ascended^(AM) on high,^(AN)
    you took many captives;^(AO)
    you received gifts from people,^(AP)
even from^[h] the rebellious^(AQ)—
    that you,^[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,^(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.^(AS)
²⁰Our God is a God who saves;^(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.^(AU)
²¹Surely God will crush the heads^(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,^(AW)
²³that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,^(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs^(AY) have their share.”

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.^(AZ)
²⁵In front are the singers,^(BA) after them the musicians;^(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.^(BC)
²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;^(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.^(BE)
²⁷There is the little tribe^(BF) of Benjamin,^(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.^(BH)

²⁸Summon your power,^(BI) God^[j];
    show us your strength,^(BJ) our God, as you have done^(BK) before.
²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.^(BL)
³⁰Rebuke the beast^(BM) among the reeds,^(BN)
    the herd of bulls^(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations^(BP) who delight in war.^(BQ)
³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;^(BR)
    Cush^[k]^(BS) will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,^(BT)
    sing praise^(BU) to the Lord,
³³to him who rides^(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders^(BW) with mighty voice.^(BX)
³⁴Proclaim the power^(BY) of God,
    whose majesty^(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
³⁵You, God, are awesome^(CA) in your sanctuary;^(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength^(CC) to his people.^(CD)

Praise be to God!^(CE)

Footnotes

Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
Psalm 68:18 Or they
Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region