Study Desk

He told me to bless them. He blessed them, so I cannot change that.

Then Balak said to Balaam, "So come with me to another place. Maybe God will be pleased and will allow you to curse them from that place."

So Balak led Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks out over the desert.

Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, so he did not try to change that by using any kind of magic. But Balaam turned and looked toward the desert.

The Moabite women invited the men to come and join in their sacrifices to their false gods. So the Israelites joined in worshiping these false gods—they ate the sacrifices and worshiped these gods. There the Israelites began worshiping the false god, Baal of Peor. And the Lord became very angry with them.

The Lord said to Moses, "Get all the leaders of these people. Then kill them so that all the people can see. Lay their bodies before the Lord . Then the Lord will not show his anger against all the Israelites."

So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must find the men in your tribe who have led people to worship the false god, Baal of Peor. Then you must kill these men."

Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron the priest. Phinehas saw this man bring the woman into camp. So he left the meeting and got his spear.

"I was so angry with the Israelites that I wanted to kill them. But Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, has saved them from my anger. He did this by showing that he feels strongly, just as I do, that my people must worship only me.

At this time the people were camped in the Jordan Valley in Moab. This was near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to the people. They said,

So the total number of men of Israel was 601,730.

This means that our father's name will not continue. It is not fair that our father's name will not continue. His name will end because he had no sons. So we ask you to give us some of the land that our father's brothers will get."

So Moses asked the Lord what he should do.

"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. They should share the land with their father's brothers. So give them the land that you would have given to their father.

"So tell the Israelites, ‘If a man has no son, when he dies everything he owns will be given to his daughter.

So the Lord said to Moses, "Joshua son of Nun is very wise. You will place your hand on him and make him the new leader.

But if her father hears about the promise and does not agree, she is free from her promise. She does not have to do what she promised. Her father stopped her, so the Lord will forgive her.

But if the husband hears about the promise and refuses to let her keep her promise, the wife does not have to do what she promised. Her husband broke the promise—he did not let her do what she said. So the Lord will forgive her.

So Moses spoke to the people. He said, "Choose some of your men to be soldiers. The Lord will use these men to do to the Midianites what they did to you.

So Moses and Eleazar did what the Lord commanded Moses.