1 Enquanto Israel estava em Sitim, o povo começou a entregar-se à imoralidade sexual com mulheres moabitas,2 que os convidavam aos sacrifícios de seus deuses. O povo comia e se prostrava perante esses deuses.3 Assim Israel se juntou à adoração de Baal-Peor. E a ira do Senhor acendeu-se contra Israel.4 E o Senhor disse a Moisés: "Prenda todos os chefes desse povo, enforque-os diante do Senhor, à luz do sol, para que o fogo da ira do Senhor se afaste de Israel".5 Então Moisés disse aos juízes de Israel: "Cada um de vocês terá que matar aqueles que dentre os seus homens se juntaram à adoração de Baal-Peor".6 Um israelita trouxe para casa uma mulher midianita, na presença de Moisés e de toda a comunidade de Israel, que choravam à entrada da Tenda do Encontro.7 Quando Finéias, filho de Eleazar, neto do sacerdote Arão, viu isso, apanhou uma lança,8 seguiu o israelita até o interior da tenda e atravessou os dois com a lança; atravessou o corpo do israelita e o da mulher. Então cessou a praga contra os israelitas.9 Mas os que morreram por causa da praga foram vinte e quatro mil.10 E o Senhor disse a Moisés:11 "Finéias, filho de Eleazar, neto do sacerdote Arão, desviou a minha ira de sobre os israelitas, pois foi zeloso, com o mesmo zelo que tenho por eles, para que em meu zelo eu não os consumisse.12 Diga-lhe, pois, que estabeleço com ele a minha aliança de paz.13 Dele e dos seus descendentes será a aliança do sacerdócio perpétuo, porque ele foi zeloso pelo seu Deus e fez propiciação pelos israelitas".14 O nome do israelita que foi morto com a midianita era Zinri, filho de Salu, líder de uma família simeonita.15 E o nome da mulher midianita que morreu era Cosbi, filha de Zur, chefe de um clã midianita.16 O Senhor disse a Moisés:17 "Tratem os midianitas como inimigos e matem-nos,18 porque trataram vocês como inimigos quando os enganaram no caso de Peor e de Cosbi, filha de um líder midianita, mulher do povo deles que foi morta quando a praga que enviei por causa de Peor".

1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people indulged in sexual immorality with the Moabite women.2 The Moabites invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.3 So Israel joined itself to Baal of Peor. Jehovah was angry against Israel.4 Jehovah said to Moses: »Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Jehovah so that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel.«5 Moses said to the judges of Israel: »Each of you put to death those men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.«6 One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the entire congregation of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting.7 Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. He left the assembly and grabbed a spear in his hand.8 He went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped.9 Twenty-four thousand people died from that plague.10 Jehovah continued speaking to Moses:11 Jehovah said to Moses: »Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I did not have to stand up for myself and destroy them.12 »Tell Phinehas that I now make a promise of peace to him.13 »My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests for a very long time because he stood up for his God. He made peace with Jehovah for the Israelites.«14 The name of the Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu. Salu was the leader of a family from Simeon.15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, daughter of Zur. Zur was the head of a family from the Midianite tribes.16 Jehovah said to Moses:17 »Treat the Midianites as your enemies, and kill them!18 »This is because they treated you as enemies. They plotted to trick you in the incident that took place at Peor. They used their sister Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed on the day of the plague caused by the incident at Peor.«