And the Lord said to Moses,
Nevertheless those who died in the [smiting] plague were 24,000.
Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites, in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My jealousy.
And that was credited to him for righteousness (right doing and right standing with God) to all generations forever.
