Numbers 25

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Israel settled at Shittim. The people gave themselves over to prostitution with Moabite women.	1 While Israel was living at Shittim, the people degraded themselves by having illicit relations with the Moabite women.
2 These invited them to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down before theirgods.	2 These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices and worshiped their god.
3 With Israel thus committed to the Baal of Peor, Yahweh's anger was aroused against them.	3 When Israel thus submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor, the LORD'S anger flared up against Israel,
4 Yahweh said to Moses, 'Take al the leaders of the people. Impale them facing the sun, for Yahweh,to deflect his burning anger from Israel.'	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."
5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Each of you wil put to death those of his people who havecommitted themselves to the Baal of Peor.'	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."
6 One of the Israelites came along, bringing the Midianite woman into his family, under the very eyes ofMoses and the whole community of Israelites as they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.	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.
7 The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, on seeing this, stood up, left the assembly, seizeda lance,	7 When Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, and taking a lance in hand,
8 fol owed the Israelite into the alcove, and there ran them both through, the Israelite and the woman,through the stomach. Thus the plague which had struck the Israelites was arrested.	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;
9 In the plague twenty-four thousand of them had died.	9 but only after twenty-four thousand had died.
10 Yahweh then spoke and said,	10 Then the LORD said to Moses,
11 'The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron has deflected my wrath from the Israelites, hebeing the only one of them to have the same zeal as I have; for which reason, I did not make an end of theIsraelites in my zeal.	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.
12 For this reason I say: To him I grant my covenant of peace.	12 Announce, therefore, that I hereby give him my pledge of friendship,
13 To him and his descendants after him, this covenant will assure the priesthood for ever. In rewardfor his zeal for his God, he will have the right to perform the ritual of expiation for the Israelites.'	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."
14 The Israelite who had been kil ed (the one who was kil ed with the Midianite woman) was cal edZimri son of Salu, leader of one of the Simeonite families.	14 The Israelite slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, prince of an ancestral house of the Simeonites.
15 The woman, the Midianite who was kil ed, was cal ed Cozbi, daughter of Zur, chief of a clan, of afamily, in Midian.	15 The slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who was head of a clan, an ancestral house, in Midian.
16 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said,	16 The LORD then said to Moses,
17 'Harass the Midianites, strike them down,	17 "Treat the Midianites as enemies and crush them,
18 for harassing you with their guile in the Peor affair and in the affair of their sister Cozbi, the daughterof a prince of Midian, the woman who was kil ed the day the plague came on account of the business of Peor.'	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."
	19 After the slaughter