Numbers 25:1-9

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Sin of Peor

25 While Israel remained at ^(A)Shittim, the people began ^(B)to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. ² For ^(C)they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So ^(D)Israel joined themselves to ^[a]Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. ⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them ^[b]in broad daylight before the Lord, ^(E)so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” ⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you ^(F)slay his men who have joined themselves to ^[c]Baal of Peor.”

⁶ Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his ^[d]relatives a ^(G)Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ^(H)while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ^7 (I)When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, ⁸ and he went after the man of Israel into the ^[e]tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the ^[f]body. ^(J)So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. ^9 (K)Those who died by the plague were 24,000.