1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. 2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel became followers of Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have become followers of Baal of Peor.”
6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the inner room of the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through the abdomen. So the plague on the sons of Israel was brought to a halt. 9 But those who died from the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be for him and for his descendants after him, a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’”
14 Now the name of the dead man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.
16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Be hostile to the Midianites and attack them; 18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor.”
1 May God arise, may His enemies be scattered,
And may those who hate Him flee from His presence.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before a fire,
So the wicked will perish before God.
3 But the righteous will be joyful; they will rejoice before God;
Yes, they will rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Exalt Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the Lord, and be jubilant before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy dwelling.
6 God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious live in parched lands.
7 God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the desert, Selah
8 The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You made plentiful rain fall, God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
In Your kindness You provided for the poor, God.
11 The Lord gives the command;
The women who proclaim good news are a great army:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will divide the spoils!”
13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with glistening gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there,
It was snowing in Zalmon.
15 The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks,
At the mountain God has desired as His dwelling?
Indeed, the Lord will dwell there forever.
17 The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among people,
Even among the rebellious as well, that the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. Selah
20 God is to us a God of salvation;
And to God the Lord belong ways of escape from death.
21 God certainly will shatter the heads of His enemies,
The hairy head of one who goes about in his guilt.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 So that your foot may shatter them in blood,
And the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen Your procession, God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went on, the musicians after them,
In the midst of the young women beating tambourines.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the fountain of Israel.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is there, ruling them,
The leaders of Judah in their company,
The leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.
28 Your God has commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, God, You who acted in our behalf.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the animals in the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling the pieces of silver;
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
31 Messengers will come from Egypt;
Cush will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel,
And His strength is in the skies.
35 God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!
1 The pronouncement concerning Moab:
Certainly in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined;
Certainly in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.
2 The people have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep.
Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba;
Everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off.
3 In their streets they have put on sackcloth;
On their housetops and in their public squares
Everyone is wailing, overcome with weeping.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,
Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
His soul trembles within him.
5 My heart cries out for Moab;
His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah,
For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping;
Indeed, on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their collapse.
6 For the waters of Nimrim are desolate.
Indeed, the grass is withered, the new growth has died,
There is no greenery.
7 Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored up,
They carry it off over the brook of Arabim.
8 For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab,
Its wailing goes as far as Eglaim and its howling to Beer-elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood;
I will certainly bring added woes upon Dimon,
A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and the remnant of the land.
1 In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your pure and respectful behavior. 3 Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; 4 but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way the holy women of former times, who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”
13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
