Numbers 25

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 While Israel was living at Shittim, the people degraded themselves by having illicit relations with the Moabite women.	1 Now Israel, at that time, dwelt in Shittim, and the people were fornicating with the daughters of Moab,
2 These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices and worshiped their god.	2 who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate, and they adored their gods.
3 When Israel thus submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor, the LORD'S anger flared up against Israel,	3 And Israel was initiated into Baal of Peor. And so the Lord, being angry,
4 and he said to Moses, "Gather all the leaders of the people, and hold a public execution of the guilty ones before the LORD, that his blazing wrath may be turned away from Israel."	4 said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them on gallows against the sun, so that my fury may be averted from Israel.”
5 So Moses told the Israelite judges, "Each of you shall kill those of his men who have submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor."	5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into Baal of Peor.”
6 Yet a certain Israelite came and brought in a Midianite woman to his clansmen in the view of Moses and of the whole Israelite community, while they were weeping at the entrance of the meeting tent.	6 And behold, one of the sons of Israel entered, in the sight of his brothers, to a prostitute of Midian, within view of Moses and of all the crowd of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.
7 When Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, and taking a lance in hand,	7 And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, had seen it, he rose up from the midst of the multitude, and, seizing a dagger,
8 followed the Israelite into his retreat where he pierced the pair of them, the Israelite and the woman. Thus the slaughter of Israelites was checked;	8 he entered after the Israelite man, into the brothel, and he pierced both of them at the same time, specifically, the man and the woman at the location of their genitals. And the scourge ceased from among the sons of Israel.
9 but only after twenty-four thousand had died.	9 And there were slain twenty-four thousand men.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses,	10 And the Lord said to Moses:
11 "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger from the Israelites by his zeal for my honor among them; that is why I did not put an end to the Israelites for the offense to my honor.	11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted my wrath from the sons of Israel. For he was moved against them by my zeal, so that I myself, in my zeal, might not wipe away the sons of Israel.
12 Announce, therefore, that I hereby give him my pledge of friendship,	12 Because of this, say to him: Behold, I give to him the peace of my covenant.
13 which shall be for him and for his descendants after him the pledge of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous on behalf of his God and thus made amends for the Israelites."	13 And the covenant of the everlasting priesthood shall be as much for him as for his offspring. For he was zealous on behalf of his God, and he has made expiation for the wickedness of the sons of Israel.”
14 The Israelite slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, prince of an ancestral house of the Simeonites.	14 Now the name of the Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader from the kinship and tribe of Simeon.
15 The slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who was head of a clan, an ancestral house, in Midian.	15 Moreover, the Midianite woman, who was put to death together with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a most noble leader among the Midianites.
16 The LORD then said to Moses,	16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
17 "Treat the Midianites as enemies and crush them,	17 “Let the Midianites perceive you as enemies, and strike them down,
18 for they have been your enemies by their wily dealings with you as regards Peor and as regards their kinswoman Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, who was killed at the time of the slaughter because of Peor."	18 for they, too, have behaved with hostility against you, and they have deceived you insidiously by means of the idol Peor, and by Cozbi, the daughter of a commander of Midian, their sister, who was struck down in the day of the scourge because of the sacrilege of Peor.”
19 After the slaughter