¹ While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, ² who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³ So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord`s anger burned against them. <sup>4</sup> The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord`s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” ⁵ So Moses said to Israel`s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.” <sup>6</sup> Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. <sup>7</sup> When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand <sup>8</sup> 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;