Numbers 25:1-9
Read Numbers 25 in full →Israel Sacrifices to Baal
25And Israel remained at aShittim, and the people began bto play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. 2Indeed athey called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3So aIsrael joined themselves to 1Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel. 4And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all who are the heads of the people and execute them 1in broad daylight before Yahweh, aso that the burning anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” 5So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you akill his men who have joined themselves to 1Baal of Peor.”
6Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a aMidianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, bwhile they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 7aAnd Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8and he went after the man of Israel into the 1tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the 2body. aThen the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 9aSo those who died by the plague were 24,000.