Israel Sacrifices to Baal

25 And Israel remained at ^(A)Shittim, and the people began ^(B)to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. ² Indeed ^(C)they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So ^(D)Israel joined themselves to ^[a]Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel. ⁴ And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all who are the heads of the people and execute them ^[b]in broad daylight before Yahweh, ^(E)so that the burning anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” ⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you ^(F)kill his men who have joined themselves to ^[c]Baal of Peor.”

⁶ Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a ^(G)Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ^(H)while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ^7 (I)And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, ⁸ and he went after the man of Israel into the ^[d]tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the ^[e]body. ^(J)Then the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. ^9 (K)So those who died by the plague were 24,000.