Israel Worships Baal

25 While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove,^[a](A) the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab. ² The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.^{(B) 3} So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor,^(C) and the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.^{(D) 4} The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute^[b] them in broad daylight before the Lord so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

¹⁶ “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community.^(A)