1 Quando os israelitas estavam acampados no vale das Acácias, os homens começaram a ter relações com as mulheres moabitas. 2 Elas convidavam o povo para as festas em que eram feitos sacrifícios aos seus deuses. E os israelitas tomavam parte nos seus banquetes e adoravam os seus deuses. 3 Assim, os israelitas se reuniram para adorar o deus Baal-Peor, e por isso o Senhor Deus ficou muito irado com eles 4 e disse a Moisés:

— Reúna os chefes do povo de Israel e os enforque diante de mim em plena luz do dia. Assim, a minha ira contra o povo de Israel acabará.

5 Moisés disse aos chefes:

— Cada um de vocês mate os homens da sua tribo que foram adorar o deus Baal-Peor.

6 Moisés e todo o povo estavam chorando em frente da Tenda do Senhor. Então um dos israelitas levou uma mulher midianita para dentro da sua barraca na presença de Moisés e de toda a gente. 7 Quando Fineias, filho de Eleazar e neto do sacerdote Arão, viu isso, levantou-se e saiu da reunião. Ele pegou uma lança, 8 seguiu o homem, entrou na barraca e enfiou a lança na barriga dele e da mulher. E assim acabou a epidemia que havia entre os israelitas 9 e que já havia matado vinte e quatro mil pessoas.

10 Então o Senhor Deus disse a Moisés:

11 — Fineias fez com que terminasse a minha ira contra o povo de Israel. Fineias é como eu: não tolera a adoração de outros deuses além de mim. Por causa do que Fineias fez, eu, na minha ira, não destruí os israelitas. 12 Portanto, diga-lhe que faço agora com ele uma aliança de amizade. 13 Ele e os seus descendentes sempre serão sacerdotes porque ele não deixou que os israelitas adorassem outro deus além de mim e assim conseguiu que fossem perdoados.

14 O israelita que foi morto com a midianita se chamava Zinri; ele era filho de Salu e chefe de uma família da tribo de Simeão. 15 A mulher midianita que foi morta se chamava Cosbi; ela era filha de Zur, chefe de um grupo de famílias midianitas.

16 O Senhor ordenou a Moisés:

17 — Ataquem e matem os midianitas. 18 Eles prejudicaram vocês, pois os enganaram, levando-os a adorar o ídolo de Peor, e também os enganaram no caso de Cosbi, filha do chefe midianita, que foi morta no tempo da epidemia que houve no monte Peor.

1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab.2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.3 And Israel joined itself unto Baal of Peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay you every one his men that were joined unto Baal of Peor.6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of meeting.7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.10 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, because he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.12 Therefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:13 And he shall have it, and his descendants after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a head of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites.15 And the name of the Midianite woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and a father’s house in Midian.16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,17 Harass the Midianites, and smite them:18 For they harassed you with their wiles, with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague on account of Peor.