New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.
1
When the Israelites lived at Shittim, the people made themselves impure by having illicit sex with Moabite women.
2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab.
2
The Moabite women invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. So the people ate a meal, and they worshipped their god.
3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD ’s anger to blaze against his people.
3
Israel became attached to the Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry at the Israelites.
4 The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”
4
The LORD said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people and kill them on behalf of the LORD in broad daylight, so that the LORD's anger turns away from Israel.
5 So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
5
Then Moses said to Israel's officials, "Each of you: kill your men who are attached to the Baal of Peor."
6 Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
6
An Israelite man brought a Midianite woman to his brothers in the sight of Moses and the entire Israelite community, who were weeping at the entrance of the meeting tent.
7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear
7
When Phinehas (Eleazar's son and Aaron the priest's grandson) saw this, he arose in the middle of the community, took a spear in his hand,
8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,
8
went after the Israelite man into the chamber, and stabbed the two of them, the Israelite man and the woman, through the stomach. Then the plague stopped spreading among the Israelites.
9 but not before 24,000 people had died.
9
Yet those who died by the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses,
10
The LORD spoke to Moses:
11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.
11
Phinehas (Eleazar's son and Aaron the priest's grandson) has turned back my rage toward the Israelites. Because he was jealous for me among you, I didn't consume the Israelites due to my jealousy.
12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him.
12
Therefore, say: I'm now giving him my covenant of well-being.
13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me. ”
13
It will be for him and his descendants a covenant of permanent priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and sought reconciliation for the Israelites.
14 The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.
14
The name of the slain Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of Simeon's household.
15 The woman’s name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan.
15
The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a tribal leader of a Midianite household.
16 Then the LORD said to Moses,
16
The LORD spoke to Moses:
17 “Attack the Midianites and destroy them,
17
Go after the Midianites and destroy them
18 because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”
18
because they went after you by the deception they devised for you at Peor with Cozbi, the Midianite chief's daughter and their sister, who was killed on the same day as the plague during the events at Peor.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible