1 And Israel sojourned in Shittim, and the people profaned itself by going a-whoring after the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called them to the sacrifices of their idols; and the people ate of their sacrifices, and worshiped their idols. 3 And Israel consecrated themselves to Baal-peor; and the Lord was very angry with Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the princes of the people, and make them examples of judgment for the Lord in the face of the sun, and the anger of the Lord shall be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said to the tribes of Israel, Slay ye every one his friend that is consecrated to Baal-peor. 6 And, behold, a man of the children of Israel came and brought his brother to a Midianitish woman before Moses, and before all the congregation of the children of Israel; and they were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of witness. 7 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, and rose out of the midst of the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand, 8 and went in after the Israelitish man into the chamber, and pierced them both through, both the Israelitish man, and the woman through her womb; and the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague were four and twenty thousand.

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest has caused my wrath to cease from the children of Israel, when I was exceedingly jealous among them, and I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Thus do thou say to him, Behold, I give him a covenant of peace: 13 and he and his seed after him shall have a perpetual covenant of priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. 14 Now the name of the smitten Israelitish man, who was smitten with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri son of Salmon, prince of a house of the tribe of Simeon. 15 And the name of the Midianitish woman who was smitten, was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a prince of the nation of Ommoth: it is a chief house among the people of Midian.

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 17 Plague the Midianites as enemies, and smite them, 18 for they are enemies to you by the treachery wherein they ensnare you through Peor, and through Cozbi their sister, daughter of a prince of Midian, who was smitten in the day of the plague because of Peor.