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) 2} who invited them to the sacrifices^(E) to their gods.^(F) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³ So Israel yoked themselves to^(G) the Baal of Peor.^(H) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

⁴ The 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.”

⁵ So 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)

⁶ Then 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. ⁷ When Phinehas^(Q) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear^(R) 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;^{(S) 9} but those who died in the plague^(T) numbered 24,000.^(U)

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.^(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. ¹² Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace^(X) with him. ¹³ He 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)

¹⁴ The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman^(AD) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.^{(AE) 15} And 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)

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses,^{(AH) 17} “Treat the Midianites^(AI) as enemies^(AJ) and kill them.^{(AK) 18} They 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.”

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites^(A) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(B)”

³ So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance^(C) on them. ⁴ Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” ⁵ So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(D) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle,^(E) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(F) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(G) and the trumpets^(H) for signaling.

⁷ They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,^(I) and killed every man.^{(J) 8} Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(K)—the five kings of Midian.^(L) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(M) with the sword.^(N)