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：
And there standeth up an adversary against Israel, and persuadeth David to number 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。」
And David saith unto Joab, and unto the heads of the people, 'Go, number Israel from Beer-Sheba even unto Dan, and bring unto me, and I 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﹖」
And Joab saith, 'Jehovah doth add to His people as they are a hundred times; are they not, my lord, O king, all of them to my lord for servants? why doth my lord seek this? why is he for a cause of guilt to 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，
And the word of the king [is] severe against Joab, and Joab goeth out, and goeth up and down in all Israel, and cometh in 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 giveth the account of the numbering of the people unto David, and all Israel is a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand, each drawing sword, and Judah [is] four hundred and seventy thousand, each drawing sword.
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。
And Levi and Benjamin he hath not numbered in their midst, for the word of the king was abominable with Joab.
7 這事使天主不悅，打擊了以色列。
And it is evil in the eyes of God concerning this thing, and He smiteth 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。」
and David saith unto God, 'I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done this thing; and now, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.'
9 上主曉諭達味的先見者加得說：「
And Jehovah speaketh unto Gad, seer of David, saying:
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 thou hast spoken unto David, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Three — I am stretching out unto thee; choose for thee one of these, and I do [it] to thee.'
11 加得來到達味前，對他說：「上主這樣說：任你選擇：
And Gad cometh in unto David, and saith to him, 'Thus said Jehovah, Take for thee —
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!」
either for three years — famine, or three months to be consumed from the face of thine adversaries, even the sword of thine enemies to overtake, or three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and a messenger of Jehovah destroying in all the border of Israel; and now, see; what word do I return to Him who is sending 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]
And David saith unto Gad, 'I am greatly distressed, let me fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for very many [are] His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.'
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。
And Jehovah giveth a pestilence in Israel, and there fall of Israel seventy thousand men,
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 sendeth a messenger to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as he is destroying Jehovah hath seen, and is comforted concerning the evil, and saith to the messenger who [is] destroying, 'Enough, now, cease thy hand.' And the messenger of Jehovah is 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。
and David lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing between the earth and the heavens, and his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem, and David falleth, and the elders, covered with sackcloth, on their faces.
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 saith unto God, 'Did not I — I say to number the people? Yea, I it [is] who have sinned, and done great evil: and these, the flock, what did they? O Jehovah, my God, let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father, and not on Thy people — to be plagued.'
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。
And the messenger of Jehovah spake unto Gad, saying for David, 'Surely David doth go up to raise an altar to Jehovah in 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。
And David goeth up by the word of Gad, that he spake in the name of Jehovah.
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。
And Ornan turneth back, and seeth the messenger, and his four sons [are] with him, hiding themselves, and Ornan is threshing wheat.
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。
And David cometh in unto Ornan, and Ornan looketh attentively, and seeth David, and goeth out from the threshing-floor, and boweth himself to David — face to the earth.
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。」
And David saith unto Ornan, 'Give to me the place of the threshing-floor, and I build in it an altar to Jehovah; for full silver give it to me, and the plague is restrained from the people.'
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」。
And Ornan saith unto David, 'Take to thee — and my lord the king doth that which is good in his eyes: see, I have given the oxen for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for a present; the whole I have given.'
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」。
And king David saith to Ornan, 'Nay, for I surely buy for full silver; for I do not lift up that which is thine to Jehovah, so as to offer a burnt-offering without cost.'
25 於是，達味為那塊地付給敖爾難六百「協刻耳」重的金子。
And David giveth to Ornan for the place shekels of gold [in] weight six hundred;
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 David buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and offereth burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and calleth unto Jehovah, and He answereth him with fire from the heavens on the altar of the burnt-offering.
27 並命天使將刀收入鞘中。[選定建殿地點]
And Jehovah saith to the messenger, and he turneth back his sword unto 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 seeth that Jehovah hath answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificeth 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，
and the tabernacle of Jehovah that Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt-offering, [are] at that time in a 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。
and David is not able to go before it to seek God, for he hath been afraid because of the sword of the messenger of Jehovah.
