CHAPTER 25
While Israel
was staying
in Acacia Grove,
the men
began
to indulge in sexual immorality
with
the daughters
of Moab,
who also invited
them
to the sacrifices
for their gods.
And the people
ate
and bowed down
to these gods.
Then the LORD
said
to
Moses,
“Take
all
the leaders
of the people
and execute
them in
broad daylight
before the LORD,
so that His
fierce
anger
may turn away
from Israel.”
So Moses
told
the judges
of Israel,
“Each of you must kill
all of his men
who have joined in worshiping
Baal of Peor.”
Just then,
an Israelite
man
brought
to his family
a Midianite woman
in the sight
of Moses
and
the whole
congregation
of Israel
while they
were weeping
at the entrance
to the Tent
of Meeting.
On seeing this,
Phinehas
son
of Eleazar,
the son
of Aaron
the priest,
got up
from
the assembly,
took
a spear
in his hand,
followed
the Israelite
into
his tent,
and drove the spear through
both of them—
through the Israelite
and on through
the belly
of the woman.
So the plague
against
the Israelites
was halted,
“Phinehas
son
of Eleazar,
the son
of Aaron
the priest,
has turned
My wrath
away from
the Israelites;
for he was zealous
for My sake
among them,
so that I did not
consume
the Israelites
in My zeal.
It will be
a covenant
of permanent
priesthood
for him
and his descendants,
because
he was zealous
for his God
and made atonement
for
the Israelites.”
The name
of the Israelite
who was slain
with
the Midianie woman
was Zimri
son
of Salu,
the leader
of a Simeonite
family.
And the name
of the slain
Midianite
woman
was Cozbi,
the daughter
of Zur,
a tribal
chief
of a Midianite
family.
For
they
assailed you
deceitfully
when
they seduced
you
in
the matter
of Peor
and
their sister
Cozbi,
the daughter
of the Midianite
leader,
the woman who was killed
on the day
the plague
came
because of
Peor."