Numbers 25

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Israel settled at Shittim. The people gave themselves over to prostitution with Moabite women.	1 Now Israel, at that time, dwelt in Shittim, and the people were fornicating with the daughters of Moab,
2 These invited them to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down before theirgods.	2 who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate, and they adored their gods.
3 With Israel thus committed to the Baal of Peor, Yahweh's anger was aroused against them.	3 And Israel was initiated into Baal of Peor. And so the Lord, being angry,
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 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 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 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into 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 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 The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, on seeing this, stood up, left the assembly, seizeda lance,	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 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 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 In the plague twenty-four thousand of them had died.	9 And there were slain twenty-four thousand men.
10 Yahweh then spoke and said,	10 And 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 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 For this reason I say: To him I grant my covenant of peace.	12 Because of this, say to him: Behold, I give to him the peace of my covenant.
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 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 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 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 woman, the Midianite who was kil ed, was cal ed Cozbi, daughter of Zur, chief of a clan, of afamily, 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 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said,	16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
17 'Harass the Midianites, strike them down,	17 “Let the Midianites perceive you as enemies, and strike them down,
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, 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.”