While Israel dwelt in Shittim, the people began to commit fornication with the daughters of Moab.

For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

And Israel joined itself to Baal-peor, and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel.

And Jehovah said to Moses, Take all the leaders of the people and hang them up to Jehovah before the sun, so that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel.

And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor.

Just then one of the children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his brothers in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole assembly of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the assembly, and took a spear in his hand,

And went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her stomach. So the plague among the children of Israel was stopped.

And those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

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 jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My jealousy.

Therefore say, I now give him My covenant of peace,

And it shall be to him and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made expiation for the children of Israel.

Now the name of the slain man of Israel, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites.

And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Harass the Midianites and strike them;

For they have harassed you with their deception with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.