Numbers 25 :: Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Israel Worships Baal

While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove,[fn] the people began to prostitute themselves with the women of Moab.

The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.

So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute[fn] them in broad daylight before the LORD so that his burning anger may turn away from Israel.”

Num 25:5

So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

Phinehas Intervenes

Num 25:6

An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Num 25:7

When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

Num 25:8

followed the Israelite man into the tent,[fn] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman — through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped,

Num 25:9

but those who died in the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.

Num 25:10

The LORD spoke to Moses,

Num 25:11

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with my zeal,[fn] so that I did not destroy the Israelites in my zeal.

Num 25:12

“Therefore declare: I grant him my covenant of peace.

Num 25:13

“It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

Num 25:14

The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.[fn]

Num 25:15

The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of a family in Midian.

Vengeance against the Midianites

Num 25:16

The LORD told Moses,

Num 25:17

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

Num 25:18

“For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”