Numbers 25

1Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began prostituting themselves with the daughters of Moab.

2They invited the people to sacrifice to their gods, and the people ate and worshiped their gods.

3Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and Yahweh's anger burned against Israel.

4Yahweh said to Moses, "Seize all the people's leaders and impale them publicly before Yahweh, so his burning wrath will lift from Israel."

5Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you put to death the men under your authority who joined Baal-peor."

6Behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

7When Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from among the assembly and took a javelin in his hand.

8He pursued the Israelite into the tent and pierced both of them, the man and the woman through her midsection. Thus the plague lifted from the Israelites.

9Twenty-four thousand died in the plague.

10Yahweh spoke to Moses:

11Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites because he shared my zeal for them among them, so I did not destroy the Israelites in my zeal.

12So say: "See, I grant him my covenant of peace."

13It will belong to him and his descendants after him, the covenant of eternal priesthood, because he showed jealousy for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.

14The Israelite slain with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, a prince of a father's house among the Simeonites.

15The slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who headed a clan in Midian.

16Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

17Oppose the Midianites, and attack them.

18for they opposed you with their schemes, schemes by which they led you astray over Peor and over Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, one of their own, killed during the plague on the day of the Peor incident.