1. While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite women
2. who invited the people to the sacrifices offered to their gods. The people ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped these gods.
3. Since the Israelites joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor, the Lord became angry with Israel.
4. The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and execute them in broad daylight in the Lord’s presence. This will turn the Lord’s anger away from Israel.”
5. So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill the men who have joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor.”
6. One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the whole community of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
7. Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. So he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
8. and went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped.
9. However, 24,000 people died from that plague.
10. Then the Lord said to Moses,
11. “Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I didn’t have to stand up for myself and destroy them.
12. So tell Phinehas that I’m making a promise of peace to him.