Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,e the men began to indulge in sexual immoralityf with Moabiteg women,h 2 who invited them to the sacrificesi to their gods.j The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel yoked themselves tok the Baal of Peor.l And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leadersm of these people, kill them and exposen them in broad daylight before the Lord,o so that the Lord’s fierce angerp may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to deathq those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”r

6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianites woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weepingt at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehasu son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spearv in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;w 9 but those who died in the plaguex numbered 24,000.y