No One Can Thwart Yehovah’s Purposes

19 And Yehovah spake unto Moshe and unto Aharon, saying, ²This is the Torah which Yehovah hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Isra’el, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke. ³And ye shall give her unto El’azar the priest, and he shall bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face: ⁴and El’azar the cohen shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. ⁵And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: ⁶and the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. ⁷Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even. ⁸And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. ⁹And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Isra’el for a water for impurity: it is a sin-offering. ¹⁰And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Isra’el, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever. 

¹¹He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days: ¹²the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. ¹³Whosoever toucheth a dead person, the body of a man that hath died, and purifieth not himself, defileth the Tabernacle of Yehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from Isra’el: because the water for impurity was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him. 

¹⁴This is the law when a man dieth in a tent: every one that cometh into the tent, and every one that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. ¹⁵And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean. ¹⁶And whosoever in the open field toucheth one that is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. ¹⁷And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin-offering; and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel: ¹⁸and a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave: ¹⁹and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify him; and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. 

²⁰But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of Yehovah: the water for impurity hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean. ²¹And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them: and he that sprinkleth the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he that toucheth the water for impurity shall be unclean until even. ²²And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even. 

20 And the children of Isra’el, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Tzin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miryam died there, and was buried there. 

²And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon. ³And the people strove with Moshe, and spake, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Yehovah! ⁴And why have ye brought the assembly of Yehovah into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts? ⁵And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. ⁶And Moshe and Aharon went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces: and the glory of Yehovah appeared unto them. ⁷And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, ⁸Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aharon thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink. ⁹And Moshe took the rod from before Yehovah, as he commanded him. 

¹⁰And Moshe and Aharon gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock? ¹¹And Moshe lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. ¹²And Yehovah said unto Moshe and Aharon, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Isra’el, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. ¹³These are the waters of M’rivah; because the children of Isra’el strove with Yehovah, and he was sanctified in them. 

¹⁴And Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Isra’el, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: ¹⁵how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers: ¹⁶and when we cried unto Yehovah, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border. ¹⁷Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land: we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go along the king’s highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border. ¹⁸And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee. ¹⁹And the children of Isra’el said unto him, We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet. ²⁰And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. ²¹Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Isra’el turned away from him. 

²²And they journeyed from Kadesh: and the children of Isra’el, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor. ²³And Yehovah spake unto Moshe and Aharon in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, ²⁴Aharon shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Isra’el, because ye rebelled against my word at the waters of M’rivah. ²⁵Take Aharon and El’azar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor; ²⁶and strip Aharon of his garments, and put them upon El’azar his son: and Aharon shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. ²⁷And Moshe did as Yehovah commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. ²⁸And Moshe stripped Aharon of his garments, and put them upon El’azar his son; and Aharon died there on the top of the mount: and Moshe and El’azar came down from the mount. ²⁹And when all the congregation saw that Aharon was dead, they wept for Aharon thirty days, even all the house of Isra’el. 

21 And the Kena’ani, the king of ‘Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Isra’el came by the way of Atarim; and he fought against Isra’el, and took some of them captive. ²And Israel vowed a vow unto Yehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. ³And Yehovah hearkened to the voice of Isra’el, and delivered up the Kena’anim; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah. 

⁴And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. ⁵And the people spake against God, and against Moshe, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. ⁶And Yehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Isra’el died. ⁷And the people came to Moshe, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yehovah, and against thee; pray unto Yehovah, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moshe prayed for the people. ⁸And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. ⁹And Moshe made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived. 

¹⁰And the children of Isra’el journeyed, and encamped in Ovot. ¹¹And they journeyed from Ovot, and encamped at ‘Iyei-Ha’avarim, in the wilderness which is before Mo’av, toward the sunrising. ¹²From thence they journeyed, and encamped in Vadi Zered. ¹³From thence they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that cometh out of the border of the Emori: for the Arnon is the border of Mo’av, between Mo’av and the Emori. ¹⁴Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Yehovah, Vahev in Sufah, And the Vadis of Arnon, ¹⁵And the slope of the vadis that inclineth toward the dwelling of Ar, And leaneth upon the border of Mo’av. 

¹⁶And from thence they journeyed to Be’er: that is the well whereof Yehovah said unto Moshe, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. 

¹⁷Then sang Isra’el this song: 

Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: 
¹⁸The well, which the princes digged, 
Which the nobles of the people delved, 
With the sceptre, and with their staves. 

And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah; 

¹⁹and from Mattanah to Nachali’el; and from Nachali’el to Bamot; ²⁰and from Bamot to the valley that is in the field of Mo’av, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon the desert. 

²¹And Isra’el sent messengers unto Sichon king of the Emori, saying, ²²Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed thy border. ²³And Sichon would not suffer Isra’el to pass through his border: but Sichon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Yachatz; and he fought against Isra’el. ²⁴And Isra’el smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Yabok, even unto the children of ‘Amon; for the border of the children of ‘Amon was strong. ²⁵And Isra’el took all these cities: and Isra’el dwelt in all the cities of the Emori, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof. ²⁶For Heshbon was the city of Sichon the king of the Emori, who had fought against the former king of Mo’av, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto the Arnon. ²⁷Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, 

Come ye to Heshbon; 
Let the city of Sichon be built and established: 
²⁸For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, 
A flame from the city of Sichon: 
It hath devoured ‘Ar of Mo’av, 
The lords of the high places of the Arnon. 

²⁹Woe to thee, Mo’av! 
Thou art undone, O people of K’mosh: 
He hath given his sons as fugitives, 
And his daughters into captivity, 
Unto Sichon king of the Emori. 

³⁰We have shot at them;
Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, 
And we have laid waste even unto Nofach, 
Which reacheth unto Meidva. 

³¹Thus Isra’el dwelt in the land of the Emori. ³²And Moshe sent to spy out Ya’zer; and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Emori that were there. 

³³And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edre’i. ³⁴And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sichon king of the Emori, who dwelt at Heshbon. ³⁵So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land. 

22 And the children of Isra’el journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Mo’av beyond the Yarden River at Yericho. 

²And Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Isra’el had done to the Emori. ³And Mo’av was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo’av was distressed because of the children of Isra’el. ⁴And Mo’av said unto the elders of Midyan, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Tzippor was king of Mo’av at that time. ⁵And he sent messengers unto Bil’am the son of B’or, to P’tor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. ⁶Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. 

⁷And the elders of Mo’av and the elders of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Bil’am, and spake unto him the words of Balak. ⁸And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Mo’av abode with Bil’am. ⁹And God came unto Bil’am, and said, What men are these with thee? ¹⁰And Bil’am said unto God, Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo’av, hath sent unto me, saying, ¹¹Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out. ¹²And God said unto Bil’am, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed. ¹³And Bil’am rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Yehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you. ¹⁴And the princes of Mo’av rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Bil’am refuseth to come with us. 

¹⁵And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. ¹⁶And they came to Bil’am, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Tzippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: ¹⁷for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. ¹⁸And Bil’am answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yehovah my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Yehovah will speak unto me more. ²⁰And God came unto Bil’am at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do. 

²¹And Bil’am rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Mo’av. ²²And God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Yehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. ²³And the ass saw the angel of Yehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil’am smote the ass, to turn her into the way. ²⁴Then the angel of Yehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. ²⁵And the ass saw the angel of Yehovah, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Bil’am’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again. ²⁶And the angel of Yehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷And the ass saw the angel of Yehovah, and she lay down under Bil’am: and Bil’am’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff. ²⁸And Yehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Bil’am, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? ²⁹And Bil’am said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee. ³⁰And the ass said unto Bil’am, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay. 

³¹Then Yehovah opened the eyes of Bil’am, and he saw the angel of Yehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. ³²And the angel of Yehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me: ³³and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive. ³⁴And Balaam said unto the angel of Yehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. ³⁵And the angel of Yehovah said unto Bil’am, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Bil’am went with the princes of Balak. 

³⁶And when Balak heard that Bil’am was come, he went out to meet him unto the City of Mo’av, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. ³⁷And Balak said unto Bil’am, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor? ³⁸And Bil’am said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak. ³⁹And Bil’am went with Balak, and they came unto Kiryath-Hutzot. ⁴⁰And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil’am, and to the princes that were with him. 

⁴¹And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Bil’am, and brought him up into the high places of Ba’al; and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people. 

23 And Bil’am said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. ²And Balak did as Bil’am had spoken; and Balak and Bil’am offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. ³And Bil’am said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Yehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height. ⁴And God met Bil’am: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar. ⁵And Yehovah put a word in Bil’am’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. ⁶And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Mo’av. ⁷And he took up his parable, and said, 

From Aram hath Balak brought me, 
The king of Mo’av from the mountains of the East: 
Come, curse me Ya’akov, 
And come, defy Isra’el. 

⁸How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? 
And how shall I defy, whom Yehovah hath not defied? 
⁹For from the top of the rocks I see him, 
And from the hills I behold him: 
Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, 
And shall not be reckoned among the nations. 

¹⁰Who can count the dust of Ya’akov, 
Or number the fourth part of Isra’el? 
Let me die the death of the righteous, 
And let my last end be like his! 

¹¹And Balak said unto Bil’am, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. ¹²And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Yehovah putteth in my mouth? 

¹³And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. ¹⁴And he took him into the field of Tzofim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar. ¹⁵And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet yonder. ¹⁶And Yehovah met Bil’am, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. ¹⁷And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Mo’av with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yehovah spoken? ¹⁸And he took up his parable, and said, 

Rise up, Balak, and hear; 
Hearken unto me, thou son of Tzippor: 
¹⁹God is not a man, that he should lie, 
Neither the son of man, that he should repent: 
Hath he said, and will he not do it? 
Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good? 

²⁰Behold, I have received commandment to bless: 
And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 
²¹He hath not beheld iniquity in Ya’akov; 
Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: 
Yehovah his God is with him, 
And the shout of a king is among them. 

²²God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; 
He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox. 
²³Surely there is no enchantment with Ya’akov; 
Neither is there any divination with Israel: 

Now shall it be said of Ya’akov and of Isra’el, 
What hath God wrought! 
²⁴Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, 
And as a lion doth he lift himself up: 
He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, 
And drink the blood of the slain. 

²⁵And Balak said unto Bil’am, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. ²⁶But Bil’am answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Yehovah speaketh, that I must do? 

²⁷And Balak said unto Bil’am, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. ²⁸And Balak took Bil’am unto the top of P’or, that looketh down upon the desert. ²⁹And Bil’am said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. ³⁰And Balak did as Bil’am had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar. 

24 And when Bil’am saw that it pleased Yehovah to bless Isra’el, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ²And Bil’am lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. ³And he took up his parable, and said, 

Bil’am the son of B’or saith, 
And the man whose eye was closed saith; 
⁴He saith, who heareth the words of God, 
Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, 

Falling down, and having his eyes open: 
⁵How goodly are thy tents, O Ya’akov, 
Thy Tabernacles, O Isra’el! 
⁶As valleys are they spread forth, 

As gardens by the river-side, 
As lign-aloes which Yehovah hath planted, 
As cedar-trees beside the waters. 
⁷Water shall flow from his buckets, 
And his seed shall be in many waters, 
And his king shall be higher than Agag, 
And his kingdom shall be exalted. 

⁸God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; 
He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: 
He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, 
And shall break their bones in pieces, 
And smite them through with his arrows. 

⁹He couched, he lay down as a lion, 
And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? 
Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, 
And cursed be every one that curseth thee. 

¹⁰And Balak’s anger was kindled against Bil’am, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Bil’am, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. ¹¹Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Yehovah hath kept thee back from honor. ¹²And Bil’am said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying, ¹³If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Yehovah speaketh, that will I speak? ¹⁴And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. ¹⁵And he took up his parable, and said, 

Bil’am the son of B’or saith, 
And the man whose eye was closed saith; 
¹⁶He saith, who heareth the words of God, 
And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, 
Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, 
Falling down, and having his eyes open: 
¹⁷I see him, but not now; 
I behold him, but not nigh: 

There shall come forth a star out of Ya’akov, 
And a sceptre shall rise out of Isra’el, 
And shall smite through the corners of Mo’av, 
And break down all the sons of tumult. 

¹⁸And Edom shall be a possession, 
Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; 
While Isra’el doeth valiantly. 
¹⁹And out of Ya’akov shall one have dominion, 
And shall destroy the remnant from the city. 
²⁰And he looked on ‘Amalek,
and took up his parable, and said, 
‘Amalek was the first of the nations; 

But his latter end shall come to destruction. 

²¹And he looked on the Keini, and took up his parable, and said, 
Strong is thy dwelling-place, 
And thy nest is set in the rock. 
²²Nevertheless Kayin shall be wasted, 
Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. 

²³And he took up his parable, and said, 
Alas, who shall live when God doeth this? 
²⁴But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, 
And they shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict ‘Ever; 
And he also shall come to destruction. 

²⁵And Bil’am rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way. 

25 And Isra’el abode in Sheetim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Mo’av: ²for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. ³And Isra’el joined himself unto Ba’al-P’or: and the anger of Yehovah was kindled against Isra’el. ⁴And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Yehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yehovah may turn away from Isra’el. ⁵And Moshe said unto the judges of Isra’el, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Ba’al-P’or. 

⁶And, behold, one of the children of Isra’el came and brought unto his brethren a woman from Midyan in the sight of Moshe, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Isra’el, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. ⁷And when Pinchas, the son of El’azar, the son of Aharon the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; ⁸and he went after the man of Isra’el into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Isra’el, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Isra’el. ⁹And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand.