1 Quando Israel estava em Sitim, o povo começou a prostituir-se com as filhas dos moabitas. 2 Estas convidaram o povo aos sacrifícios oferecidos aos seus deuses; e o povo comeu a carne dos sacrifícios e adorou os deuses dessas mulheres. 3 Assim, quando Israel se juntou ao culto a Baal-Peor, a ira do Senhor se acendeu contra Israel. 4 O Senhor disse a Moisés:

— Reúna todos os chefes do povo e enforque-os diante do Senhor ao ar livre, e a ardente ira do Senhor se afastará de Israel.

5 Então Moisés disse aos juízes de Israel:

— Cada um mate os homens da sua tribo que se juntaram a Baal-Peor.

6 Naquele momento, eis que um homem dos filhos de Israel trouxe para a sua tenda uma mulher midianita, à vista de Moisés e de toda a congregação dos filhos de Israel, enquanto eles choravam diante da tenda do encontro. 7 Quando Fineias, filho de Eleazar, filho do sacerdote Arão, viu isso, levantou-se do meio da congregação, e, pegando uma lança, 8 seguiu o homem israelita até o interior da tenda, e, com a lança, atravessou os dois, tanto o homem israelita quanto a mulher midianita, pelo ventre; então a praga cessou entre os filhos de Israel. 9 Os que morreram da praga foram vinte e quatro mil.

10 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés:

11 — Fineias, filho de Eleazar, filho do sacerdote Arão, desviou a minha ira de sobre os filhos de Israel, pois estava animado com o meu zelo no meio deles, assim que, no meu zelo, não consumi os filhos de Israel. 12 Portanto, diga: Eis que lhe dou a minha aliança de paz. 13 E ele e a sua descendência terão a aliança do sacerdócio perpétuo, porque teve zelo pelo seu Deus e fez expiação pelos filhos de Israel.

14 O nome do israelita que foi morto, isto é, que foi morto com a mulher midianita, era Zinri, filho de Salu, chefe da casa paterna dos simeonitas. 15 O nome da mulher midianita que foi morta era Cosbi, filha de Zur, chefe do povo da casa paterna entre os midianitas.

16 O Senhor disse a Moisés:

17 — Atormentem e ataquem os midianitas, 18 porque eles atormentaram vocês quando os enganaram no caso de Peor e no caso de Cosbi, filha do chefe dos midianitas, irmã deles, que foi morta no dia da praga no caso de Peor.

1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,

2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.

3 So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them.

4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."

5 So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor."

6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear 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;

9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

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. Since he was as zealous for my honor 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 with him.

13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

14 The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.

15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

16 The LORD said to Moses,

17 "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

18 They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident 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."