歷代志上 21
1 [統計人口得罪上主]撒殫起來反對以色列，慫恿達味統計以色列：
Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
2 達味對約阿布及人民的首領說：「你們去統計以色列，由貝爾舍巴直到丹，然後回來告訴我，叫我知道他們的數目。」
So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”
3 約阿布回答說：「願上主使自己的百姓比現在更增加百倍! 我主大王，他們不都是我主的僕人嗎﹖我主為什麼硬要這樣作﹖為什麼要使以色列陷於罪惡﹖」
But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 然而君王的命令迫使約阿布；約阿布便去，走遍了全以色列，然後回到耶路撒冷，
Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem.
5 將統計人民的數目呈報給達味；全以色列能持刀的人有一百一十萬，猶大人能持刀的有四十七萬。
And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.
6 唯有肋未人及本雅明人沒有統計，因為約阿布憎厭君王的命令。
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
7 這事使天主不悅，打擊了以色列。
This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel.
8 達味對天主說：「我作這事，實在犯了重罪。現在，求你赦免你僕人的罪，因為我所行的實在昏愚。」
Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
9 上主曉諭達味的先見者加得說：「
And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
10 你去告訴達味：上主這樣說：我給你提出三件事，任你選擇一件，我好向你實行。」
“Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”
11 加得來到達味前，對他說：「上主這樣說：任你選擇：
So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You must choose
12 或者三年饑荒；或者三個月在你敵人前流亡，為敵人持刀追擊；或者三日在你國內遭受上主的刀，即瘟疫，讓上主的使者蹂躪以色列全境。現在你考慮一下，我應向那派遣我來的回覆什麼!」
between three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
13 達味對加得說：「我很難作，但我寧願落在上主手中，因為他富於仁慈，而不願落在人手中。」[降瘟疫之罰]
David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
14 於是上主使瘟疫降於以色列；在以色列因瘟疫死了七萬人。
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
15 當時，天主派一位天使往耶路撒冷去，要毀滅那城；將要毀損的時候，上主一看，便後悔降災，遂吩咐毀滅的天使說：「夠了，現在收回你的手罷! 」那時，上主的天使正立在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上。
Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 達味舉目，見上主的使者立在天地中間，手持脫鞘的刀，朝向耶路撒冷。達味與眾長老都身穿麻衣，俯伏在地。
When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
17 達味對天主說：「不是我下了令統計百姓麼﹖是我犯了罪，是我這個牧者作了惡。但這羊群作了什麼﹖上主，我的天主! 願你的手打擊我和我的父家，但不要將瘟疫降在你百姓身上! [建築祭壇平息主怒]
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
18 上主的天使吩咐加得去告訴達味，叫他上去，在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上，為上主建立一座祭壇。
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 達味就照加得奉上主的名所說的話上去了。
So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.
20 敖爾難回頭看見君王和他的四個兒子經過；那時敖爾難正在打麥子。
Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.
21 達味走到敖爾難那裏，敖爾難一看見達味，便走出禾場，俯首至地叩拜達味。
David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown before David.
22 達味對敖爾難說：「請將這塊禾場地段讓給我，我要在這禾場上為上主建立一座祭壇，請照足價讓給我，為止息民間的災禍。」
Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
23 敖爾爾對達味說：「儘管用吧! 我主大王看著好，就去行吧! 看我將牛給你作全燔祭，打禾具作木柴，麥子作素祭：這一切我都供給你」。
Ornan said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I will give it all.”
24 達味對敖爾難說：「不成! 我一定要照足價來買；我不能拿你的東西獻於上主，不能用沒有代價的東西，獻作全燔祭」。
“No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor will I offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
25 於是，達味為那塊地付給敖爾難六百「協刻耳」重的金子。
So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site.
26 達味在那裏為上主建立了一座祭壇，奉獻了全燔祭與和平祭，呼求了上主，上住由天上垂聽了他，使火降在全燔祭壇上，
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 並命天使將刀收入鞘中。[選定建殿地點]
Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its sheath.
28 那時，達味見上主在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上垂聽了他，就在那裏獻了祭。─
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
29 梅瑟在曠野所造的會幕和全燔祭壇，那時雖都在基貝紅高處，
For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
30 但達味不敢前去求問天主，因為害怕上主使者的刀。
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
