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While Israel lived in 1Shittim, 2the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.
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3These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
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So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
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And the LORD said to Moses, 4"Take all the chiefs of the people and 5hang them in the sun before the LORD, 6that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."
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And Moses said to 7the judges of Israel, 8"Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor."
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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 9weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
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10When Phinehas 11the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand
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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.
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Nevertheless, 12those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.