Numbers 25:2-12 Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

2. who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate, and they adored their gods.

3. And Israel was initiated into Baal of Peor. And so the Lord, being angry,

4. said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them on gallows against the sun, so that my fury may be averted from Israel."

5. And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into Baal of Peor."

6. And behold, one of the sons of Israel entered, in the sight of his brothers, to a prostitute of Midian, within view of Moses and of all the crowd of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

7. And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, had seen it, he rose up from the midst of the multitude, and, seizing a dagger,

8. he entered after the Israelite man, into the brothel, and he pierced both of them at the same time, specifically, the man and the woman at the location of their genitals. And the scourge ceased from among the sons of Israel.

9. And there were slain twenty-four thousand men.

10. And the Lord said to Moses:

11. "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted my wrath from the sons of Israel. For he was moved against them by my zeal, so that I myself, in my zeal, might not wipe away the sons of Israel.

12. Because of this, say to him: Behold, I give to him the peace of my covenant.

Numbers 25