251 While Israel remained at Shittim , the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab . 2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods , and the people ate and bowed down to their gods . 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor , and the Lord was angry e against Israel . 4 The Lord said to Moses , "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord , so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel ." 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel , "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor ."
6 Then behold , one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives 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 doorway of the tent of meeting . 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar , the son of Aaron the priest , saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand , 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through , the man of Israel and the woman , through the body . So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked . 9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000 e e . 10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 11 " Phinehas the son of Eleazar , the son of Aaron the priest , has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy . 12 "Therefore say , ' Behold , I give him My covenant of peace ; 13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood , because e he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel .' " 14 Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman , was Zimri the son of Salu , a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites . 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur , who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian .
16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 17 " Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them; 18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks , with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi , the daughter of the leader of Midian , their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because e of Peor ."
