A reading from the Book of Numbers.

While Israel lived in Shidham, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.

These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the chiefs of Pior. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses,

Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel. And Moses said to the judges of Israel, each of you kill those of

his men who have yoked themselves to Bail a Peor.

And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family,

in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel,

while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

When Phineas, the son of Eliezer, son of Aaron, the priest, saw it, he rose and left

the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and went after the man of Israel into the chamber,

and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague

on the people of Israel was stopped. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were 24,000.

And the Lord said to Moses, Phineas, the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, has turned back

my wrath from the people of Israel, and that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I

did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say,

Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after

him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made

atonement for the people of Israel. The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite

woman, was Zemirai, the son of Selu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites.

And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was caused by, the daughter of Zur, who was

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