Numbers 25:1-9

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Israel Worships Baal

25 While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove,^[a](A) the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab. ² The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.^{(B) 3} So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor,^(C) and the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.^{(D) 4} The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute^[b] them in broad daylight before the Lord so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

Phinehas Intervenes

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. 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, ⁸ followed the Israelite man into the tent,^[c] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman—through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, ⁹ but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.^(E)