Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where {is} their God? {rule over: or, use a byword against}

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all {that are} round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor {was} king of the Moabites at that time.

Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. {I will...: or, In gathering I will consume}

Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, {even} that was slain with the Midianitish woman, {was} Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. {chief...: Heb. house of a father}

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. {set a mark: Heb. mark a mark}

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.

And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and {when} he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, {as} they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots {they are} and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, {doing} according to their abominations, {even} of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

{As for} the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

And the children of Israel took {all} the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

And it came to pass, {that} when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast {it} into the fire that {was} on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that {was} on the hearth.

And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: {imagination: or, stubbornness} {drunkenness...: Heb. the drunken to the thirsty}

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

But the soul that doeth {ought} presumptuously, {whether he be} born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. {presumptuously: Heb. with an high hand}

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and {so} the plague was stayed.

So she caught him, and kissed him, {and} with an impudent face said unto him, {with...: Heb. she strengthened her face and said}

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? {or} who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard {thee}, saith the LORD.

Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.

Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,

Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? {with...: or, among the oaks}

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. {wholly...: or, full of idols}