The Wilderness Years

but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.

Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace.

It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

The name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.

And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

And the LORD said to Moses,

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”

After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,

“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by the houses of their fathers—all those twenty years of age or older who can serve in the army of Israel.”

So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued the instruction,

“Take a census of the men twenty years of age or older, as the LORD has commanded Moses.” And these were the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt:

Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. These were the descendants of Reuben: The Hanochite clan from Hanoch, the Palluite clan from Pallu,

the Hezronite clan from Hezron, and the Carmite clan from Carmi.

These were the clans of Reuben, and their registration numbered 43,730.

Now the son of Pallu was Eliab,

and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the congregation, who fought against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah who rebelled against the LORD.

And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.

However, the line of Korah did not die out.

These were the descendants of Simeon by their clans: The Nemuelite clan from Nemuel, the Jaminite clan from Jamin, the Jachinite clan from Jachin,

the Zerahite clan from Zerah, and the Shaulite clan from Shaul.

These were the clans of Simeon, and there were 22,200 men.

These were the descendants of Gad by their clans: The Zephonite clan from Zephon, the Haggite clan from Haggi, the Shunite clan from Shuni,