A reading from the Book of Numbers.

While Israel lived in Shatim, 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 Ba'al 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 of Peor. And behold,

one of the people of Israel came and brought a Middianite 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 Eliezer, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back

my wrath from the people of Israel, in 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 Zimri, the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites.

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