1 ¶ While Israel remained in Shittim, the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods: and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.

3 So Israel joined himself to Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

4 And the LORD said to Moses, Summon all the leaders of the people, and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you slay those of his men who were joined to Baalpeor.

6 ¶ And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman in plain view of Moses, and the entire congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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 followed 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 on the children of Israel was stopped.

9 Nevertheless those who died in the plague numbered twenty and four thousand.

10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was zealous for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.

12 Therefore say, Behold, I give to 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 with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, the leader of a clan of the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; who was the head over a people, and a chief house in Midian.

16 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

17 Attack the Midianites, and smash them:

18 For they have attacked you with their treachery, by which they have seduced you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.