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 remained among the acacias,and the people began to go away unchastely unto the daughters of Moab;

2 who invited the people unto the sacrifices of their gods,so the people did eat, and did bow themselves down unto their gods.

3 Thus Israel let himself be bound unto Baal-peor, and the anger of Yahweh kindled upon Israel.

4 And Yahweh said unto MosesTake all the heads of the people, and crucify them unto Yahweh. in the face of the sun,that the heat of the anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.

5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel,Slay ye each one his men, who have let them-selves he herald unto Baal-peor.

6 And lo! a man of the sons of Israel coming in, who brought near unto his brethren a Midianite woman, before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the assembly of the sons of Israel, when they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

7 And Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest saw it, so he rose up out of the midst of the assembly, and took a spear in his hand;

8 and went in after the man of Israel into the pleasure-tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, in her parts of shame,so the plague was restrained from against the sons of Israel.

9 Then was it found that they who had died by the plague were four and twenty thousand.

10 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses saying:

11 Phinehas on of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, hath turned back my wrath front against the sons of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy, in their midst, so that I made not an end of the sons of Israel. in my jealousy.

12 Wherefore say,Behold me! giving unto him my covenant of peace;

13 so shall it prove to be unto him and unto his seed after him, the covenant of our age-abiding priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and did put a propitiatory-covering over the sons of Israel.

14 Now, the name of the man of Israel that was smitten, who was smitten with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri son of Salu,prince of an ancestral house of the Simeonites;

15 and, the name of the woman who was smitten, the Midianitess, was Cozbi, daughter of Zur,the head of his kindred, of an ancestral house in Midian, was he.

16 And Yahweh spake unto Moses saying:

17 Besiege the Midianites,and ye shall smite them:

18 for, besiegers, were they unto you, with their wiles wherewith they beguiled you, over the matter of Peor,and over he matter of Cozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was smitten in the day of the plague, over the matter of Peor.