Numbers 25
Israel commits whoredom with the daughters of Moab and worships Baal of Peor, provoking the LORD's anger. A plague kills 24,000 before Phinehas the priest drives a spear through an Israelite man and a Midianite woman; the LORD rewards Phinehas with a covenant of everlasting priesthood.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. | While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. |
| 2 | And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. | These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. |
| 3 | And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. | So Israel yoked Himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. |
| 4 | And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. | the LORD said to Moses, 'Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them before the LORD in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.' |
| 5 | And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. | Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.' |
| 6 | And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. | just then, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. |
| 7 | And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; | When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand |
| 8 | And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. | went after the man of Israel into the inner room and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. |
| 9 | And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. | Nevertheless those who died by the plague were 24,000. |
| 10 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, | the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, |
| 11 | Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. | 'Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. |
| 12 | Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: | Therefore say, "I am giving him my covenant of peace, |
| 13 | And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. | it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel."' |
| 14 | Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. | The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a chief of a fathers' house belonging to the Simeonites. |
| 15 | And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. | the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, a chief's house in Midian. |
| 16 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, | the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, |
| 17 | Vex the Midianites, and smite them: | 'Harass the Midianites and strike them down, |
| 18 | For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake. | for they have harassed You with their wiles, with which they beguiled You in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.' |