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：
Satan decided to cause the Israeli people to have trouble. So he incited David to find out how many men in Israel [were able to be in the army].
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 commanded Joab and the other army commanders, “Count all the men in Israel [who are able to be in the army]. Start at Beersheba [town in the south] and go all the way to Dan [city in the north]. Then come back and report to me, in order that I may know how many men there are.”
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, “Your majesty, even if Yahweh allowed us to have 100 times as many soldiers as we have now, you would [RHQ] still rule all of them. So why do you want us to do this? You will surely [RHQ] cause [all the people of] Israel to be guilty of sinning.”
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，
But David would not change his mind. So Joab [and his soldiers] went everywhere in Israel and in Judah, and counted the people. Then they 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 they reported to David that there were 1,100,000 men in Israel who could be in the army, and 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。
Joab did not count the men from the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he was disgusted with what the king had commanded.
7 這事使天主不悅，打擊了以色列。
David’s command to count the people caused God to become angry, so he [told David that he had decided to] punish [the people of] 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 prayed, saying, “Yahweh, what I did was very foolish. I have sinned greatly by what I have done. So now I plead with you, please forgive me.”
9 上主曉諭達味的先見者加得說：「
Then Yahweh said to Gad, David’s prophet,
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 this to David: I am allowing you to choose one of three things [to punish you]. I will do whichever one you choose.”
11 加得來到達味前，對他說：「上主這樣說：任你選擇：
So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You can choose one of these [punishments]:
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!」
three years of famine [in Israel], or three months during which your armies will run away from their enemies [who will attack them with] swords, or three days during which I will send my angel to cause many people in the country to die because of a (plague/very serious illness).’ So, you must decide what I will say to answer [Yahweh, ] the one 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 replied to Gad, “I am very distressed. But allow Yahweh to punish [MTY] me, because he is very merciful. Do not allow humans to punish me, [because they will not be merciful].”
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 Yahweh sent a plague on [the people of] Israel, and 70,000 of them died because of it.
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。
And God sent an angel to destroy the people in Jerusalem by the plague. But when the angel was standing at the ground where Araunah, from the Jebus people-group, threshed grain, Yahweh saw all the suffering that the people had endured, and he was grieved. So he said to the angel, “Stop what you are doing [IDM]! That is enough [IDM]!”
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。
David looked up and saw the angel whom Yahweh had sent, standing between the sky and the ground. The angel had a sword in his hand that was pointed toward Jerusalem. Then David and the elders [of the city], who were wearing clothes made of rough sackcloth, prostrated themselves on the ground.
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]
David said to God, “I am [RHQ] the one who ordered the men who could be in the army to be counted. I am the one who has sinned and done what is very wrong, but these people are [as innocent as] [MET] sheep. They have certainly not [RHQ] done anything [that is wrong]. So Yahweh my God, punish [IDM] me and my family, but do not allow this plague to continue to [cause] your people [to become sick and die].”
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 who was sent by Yahweh told Gad to go up to the place where Araunah threshed grain and tell David to build an altar to [worship] Yahweh there.
19 達味就照加得奉上主的名所說的話上去了。
So [after Gad told] David, [he] obeyed the message that Yahweh [MTY] had given to Gad, [and he went up there].
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。
While Araunah was threshing some wheat, he turned and saw the angel. His four sons who were with him [also saw the angel, and they] 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。
Then David approached. When Araunah saw him, he left the place where he was threshing grain and prostrated himself, with his face touching the ground.
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。」
David said to him, “Please sell me your threshing place in order that I can build an altar here to [worship] Yahweh. Then he will stop this plague. I will pay the full price.”
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」。
Araunah replied, “Take it! Your majesty, do whatever you want to. I will give you the oxen [that thresh the grain] for an offering to be completely burned [on the altar]. And I will give you the threshing boards to use as wood [on the altar], and I will give you grain for a grain offering. I will give all those things to you.”
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」。
But the king said to Araunah, “No, [I will not take these things as a gift]. I will pay you the full price for it. I will not take things that belong to you, things that have cost me nothing and offer them as sacrifices to Yahweh to be completely burned on the altar.”
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 Araunah 600 pieces of gold for the whole area.
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，
David built an altar to [worship] Yahweh there, and he offered sacrifices to be completely burned [on the altar] and sacrifices to restore fellowship [with Yahweh]. David prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered by sending a fire from heaven [to burn up the offerings] on the altar.
27 並命天使將刀收入鞘中。[選定建殿地點]
Then Yahweh spoke to the angel, and told him to put his sword back into its sheath. [So the angel did that].
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。─
And when David saw that Yahweh had answered him there at the place where Araunah threshed grain [and had ended the plague], 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，
Yahweh’s Sacred Tent, which Moses had commanded to be set up in the desert, and the altar for burning sacrifices completely, were at that time on a hill at Gibeon [city].
30 但達味不敢前去求問天主，因為害怕上主使者的刀。
But David did not want to go there to request God to tell him what he wanted [him to do], because he was afraid that the angel sent from Yahweh [might strike him with] his sword.
