25 Meanwhile, the Israelis settled down at Shittim, and their men started sleeping with women from Moav 2 who then invited them to sacrifices to their idols. So the Israelis bowed down to the idols and ate at the feasts, 3 and when Yisrael consecrated themselves to Baal-Peor, Yahweh’s anger burned towards them. 4 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, “Execute all the people’s leaders and display their bodies in broad daylight, and then Yahweh’s anger might turn back away from Yisrael.”

5 So Mosheh to Yisrael’s judges, “Each of you must execute your men who have joined others to serve Baal-Peor.”

6 Just then, unbelievably, an Israeli man came past Mosheh and all the people who were there outside the sacred tent weeping, and he was bringing a Midyanite woman with him. 7 When Pinehas (son of Eleazar, son of Aharon) saw that, he came out from among the gathered people, grabbed a spear, 8 and followed the Israeli man into his tent. He plunged the spear through the two of them—right through the man and the woman’s belly, and thus, stopped the plague that had started against the Israelis. 9 However,, twenty-four thousand people had already died from the plague.

10 Then Yahweh spoke to Mosheh, 11 “Aharon’s grandson Pinehas has deflected my anger from the Israelis by demonstrating my seriousness about their behaviour, so now in my zeal, I won’t eliminate the Israelis. 12 So tell him that I’m making a peace agreement with him. 13 It’s an agreement that gives him and his descendants the rights to be priests because he was zealous on his god’s behalf and he worked towards removing the guilt of the people.”

14 The Israeli man who was killed with the Midyanite woman was Salu’s son Zimri, a clan leader from the Shimeon tribe. 15 The Midyanite woman who was killed was Kozbi, the daughter of Tsur, a Midyanite clan leader.

16 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 17 “Attack the Midyanites and destroy them 18 because they were treacherously deceiving you all over the matter of Peor and Kozbi, the daughter of one of their leaders who was killed on the day of the plague at Mt. Peor.”