Numbers 25

vayyeshev yisra'el bashittim vayyakhel ha'am liznot el-benot mo'av

While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women,

vattiqrena la'am lezivkhe elohehen vayyokhal ha'am vayyishtakhavu lelohehen

who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that god.

vayyitsamed yisra'el leva'al pe'or vayyikhar-af Adonai beyisra'el

Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and GOD was incensed with Israel.

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh qakh et-kol-rashe ha'am vehoqa otam la-Adonai neged hashamesh veyashov kharon af-Adonai miyyisra'el

GOD said to Moses, “Take all the ringleaders and have them publicly impaled before GOD, so that GOD’s wrath may turn away from Israel.”

vayyomer mosheh el-shofete yisra'el hirgu ish anashayw hannitsmadim leva'al pe'or

So Moses said to Israel’s officials, “Each of you slay those of your men who attached themselves to Baal-peor.”

vehinneh ish mibbene yisra'el ba vayyaqrev el-ekhayw et-hammidyanit le'ene mosheh ule'ene kol-adat bene-yisra'el vehemmah vokhim petakh ohel mo'ed

Just then a certain Israelite man came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

vayyar pinekhas ben-elazar ben-aharon hakkohen vayyaqom mittokh ha'edah vayyiqqakh romakh beyado

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

vayyavo akhar ish-yisra'el el-haqqubbah vayyidqor et-shenehem et ish yisra'el ve'et-ha'isha el-qovatah vatte'atsar hammaggefah me'al bene yisra'el

he followed the Israelite man into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite man and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked.

vayyihyu hammetim bammaggefah arba'ah ve'esrim alef

Those who died of the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh lemor

GOD spoke to Moses, saying,

pinekhas ben-elazar ben-aharon hakkohen heshiv et-khamati me'al bene-yisra'el beqano et-qinati betokham velo-khilliti et-bene-yisra'el beqinati

“Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion.

lakhen emor hinni noten lo et-beriti shalom

Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship.

vehayetah lo ulezaro akharayw berit kehunnat olam takhat asher qinne lelohayw vayekhapper al-bene yisra'el

It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’”

veshem ish yisra'el hammukkeh asher hukkah et-hammidyanit zimri ben-salu nesi vet-av lashimoni

The name of the Israelite man who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house.

veshem ha'isha hammukkah hammidyanit kozbi vat-tsur rosh ummot bet-av bemidyan hu

The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh lemor

GOD spoke to Moses, saying,

tsaror et-hammidyanim vehikkitem otam

“Assail the Midianites and defeat them—

ki tsorerim hem lakhem benikhlehem asher-nikkelu lakhem al-devar-pe'or ve'al-devar kozbi vat-nesi midyan akhotam hammukkah veyom-hammaggefah al-devar-pe'or

for they assailed you by the trickery they practiced against you—because of the affair of Peor and because of the affair of their kinswoman Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on account of Peor.”