Num 25 | NASB2020 | STEP | While Israel remained at Shittim , the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab .

‏ Numbers 25

The Sin of Peor

1 While Israel remained at ^aShittim, the people began ^bto commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. 2 For ^cthey invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So ^dIsrael ^{▼▼Lit bound themselves to}became followers of ^{▼▼Or Baal-peor}Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and ^{▼▼Lit display them (dead) with broken limbs}execute them ^{▼▼Lit in front of the sun}in broad daylight before the Lord, ⁱso that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you ^jkill his men who have ^{▼▼Lit bound themselves to}become followers of ^{▼▼Or Baal-peor}Baal of Peor.”

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a ^mMidianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ⁿwhile they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 ^oWhen Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the inner room of the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through the abdomen. ^pSo the plague on the sons of Israel was brought to a halt. 9 ^qBut those who died from the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “ ^rPhinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was ^{▼▼Or possibly zealous; i.e., impassioned}jealous with My ^{▼▼Or possibly anger}jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel ^uin My ^{▼▼Or possibly anger}jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘ ^wBehold, I am giving him My ^xcovenant of peace; 13 and it shall be for him and for his ^{▼▼Lit seed}descendants after him, a covenant of a ^zpermanent priesthood, because he was ^{▼▼Or possibly zealous; i.e., impassioned}jealous for his God and ^abmade atonement for the sons of Israel.’”

14 Now the name of the ^{▼▼Lit killed}dead man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was ^adCozbi the daughter of ^aeZur, ^{▼▼Lit he}who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “ ^agBe hostile to the Midianites and attack them; 18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor.”