Numbers 25:1-9 ▼

1 While Israel was living at Shittim, the people profaned themselves by prostituting themselves with the Moabite women.

2 These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices and bowed down to their god.

3 Israel thereby attached itself to the Baal of Peor, and the LORD’s anger flared up against Israel.

4 The LORD said to Moses: Gather all the leaders of the people, and publicly execute them before the LORD, that the blazing wrath of the LORD may turn away from Israel.

5 So Moses told the Israelite judges, “Each of you kill those of his men who have attached themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

6 At this a certain Israelite came and brought in a Midianite woman to his kindred in the view of Moses and of the whole Israelite community, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he rose up from the assembly, and taking a spear in his hand,

8 followed the Israelite into the tent where he pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman. Thus the plague upon the Israelites was checked;

9 but the dead from the plague were twenty-four thousand.