javelin, and with it he slew Cozbi also, Upon which all those
young men that had a regard to virtue, and aimed to do a glorious
action, imitated Phineas's boldness, and slew those that were
found to be guilty of the same crime with Zimri. Accordingly many
of those that had transgressed perished by the magnanimous valor
of these young men; and the rest all perished by a plague, which
distemper God himself inflicted upon them; so that all those
their kindred, who, instead of hindering them from such wicked
actions, as they ought to have done, had persuaded them to go on,
were esteemed by God as partners in their wickedness, and died.
Accordingly there perished out of the army no fewer than fourteen
(13) [twenty-four] thousand at this time.

13. This was the cause why Moses was provoked to send an army to
destroy the Midianites, concerning which expedition we shall
speak presently, when we have first related what we have omitted;
for it is but just not to pass over our legislator's due
encomium, on account of his conduct here, because, although this
Balaam, who was sent for by the Midianites to curse the Hebrews,
and when he was hindered from doing it by Divine Providence, did
still suggest that advice to them, by making use of which our
enemies had well nigh corrupted the whole multitude of the
Hebrews with their wiles, till some of them were deeply infected
with their opinions; yet did he do him great honor, by setting
down his prophecies in writing. And while it was in his power to
claim this glory to himself, and make men believe they were his
own predictions, there being no one that could be a witness
against him, and accuse him for so doing, he still gave his
attestation to him, and did him the honor to make mention of him
on this account. But let every one think of these matters as he