⁶ Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite^(A) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping^(B) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas^(C) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear^(D) in his hand ⁸ and 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;^{(E) 9} but those who died in the plague^(F) numbered 24,000.^(G)

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

⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁵⁰ Nicodemus,^(A) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^(A)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(A) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^(B)

¹⁶ Then the officials^(A) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death!^(B) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁷ Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, ¹⁸ “Micah^(C) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

¹⁹ “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah^(H) fear the Lord and seek^(I) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,^(J) so that he did not bring the disaster^(K) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster^(L) on ourselves!”

Not One Is Upright