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 89

New International Version

Psalm 89^[a]

A maskil^[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

¹I will sing^(A) of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known^(B)
    through all generations.
²I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.^(C)
³You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”^[c]^(D)

⁵The heavens^(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly^(F) of the holy ones.
⁶For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?^(G)
⁷In the council^(H) of the holy ones^(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.^(J)
⁸Who is like you,^(K) Lord God Almighty?^(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.^(M)
¹⁰You crushed Rahab^(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered^(O) your enemies.
¹¹The heavens are yours,^(P) and yours also the earth;^(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.^(R)
¹²You created the north and the south;
    Tabor^(S) and Hermon^(T) sing for joy^(U) at your name.
¹³Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.^(V)

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;^(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.^(X)
¹⁵Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk^(Y) in the light^(Z) of your presence, Lord.
¹⁶They rejoice in your name^(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
¹⁷For you are their glory and strength,^(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.^[d]^(AC)
¹⁸Indeed, our shield^[e]^(AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king^(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰I have found David^(AF) my servant;^(AG)
    with my sacred oil^(AH) I have anointed^(AI) him.
²¹My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.^(AJ)
²²The enemy will not get the better of him;^(AK)
    the wicked will not oppress^(AL) him.
²³I will crush his foes before him^(AM)
    and strike down his adversaries.^(AN)
²⁴My faithful love will be with him,^(AO)
    and through my name his horn^[f] will be exalted.
²⁵I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.^(AP)
²⁶He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,^(AQ)
    my God, the Rock^(AR) my Savior.’^(AS)
²⁷And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,^(AT)
    the most exalted^(AU) of the kings^(AV) of the earth.
²⁸I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.^(AW)
²⁹I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.^(AX)

³⁰“If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
³¹if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
³²I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;^(AY)
³³but I will not take my love from him,^(AZ)
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
³⁴I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.^(BA)
³⁵Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
³⁶that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;^(BB)
³⁷it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”^(BC)

³⁸But you have rejected,^(BD) you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
³⁹You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.^(BE)
⁴⁰You have broken through all his walls^(BF)
    and reduced his strongholds^(BG) to ruins.
⁴¹All who pass by have plundered^(BH) him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.^(BI)
⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.^(BJ)
⁴³Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.^(BK)
⁴⁴You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵You have cut short^(BL) the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.^(BM)

⁴⁶How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?^(BN)
⁴⁷Remember how fleeting is my life.^(BO)
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?^(BP)
⁴⁹Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰Remember, Lord, how your servant has^[g] been mocked,^(BQ)
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
⁵¹the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.^(BR)

⁵²Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.^(BS)

Footnotes

Psalm 89:1 In Hebrew texts 89:1-52 is numbered 89:2-53.
Psalm 89:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 89:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 37, 45 and 48.
Psalm 89:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one.
Psalm 89:18 Or sovereign
Psalm 89:24 Horn here symbolizes strength.
Psalm 89:50 Or your servants have