撒母耳記下 24
1 上主對以色列又大發憤怒，遂激動達味去難為他們，並向他們說：「你去統計以色列和猶大人口」。
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2 王遂對在自己身邊的約阿布和其餘的軍長說：「你們應走遍以色列各支派，由丹直到具爾舍巴，統計人民，我好知道人民的號目」。
So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”
3 約阿布對君王說：「願上主你的天主將目前的百姓增加百倍，願我主大王親眼見到! 但我主大王，為什麼要行此事﹖」
But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4 可是君王堅持向約阿布和眾軍長所出命令，約阿布和眾軍長便離開君王，去統計以色列百姓。
Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel.
5 他們過了約旦河，由阿洛厄爾及山谷間城市開始，經過加得直到雅則爾，
They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.
6 而後來來到基肋阿得及赫特人地方的刻德士，再由此到丹，轉到漆東。
Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.
7 以後來到提洛的堡壘，希威人和客納罕人的各城，然後經過猶大南部，來到了貝爾舍巴。
They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.
8 他們走遍了全國，經過九個月零二十天，回到了耶路撒冷。
At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.
9 約阿布將統計的人民的數目，呈報給君王：以色列能執刀的士兵有八十萬人，猶大有五十萬人﹖
And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.
10 達味統計人民以後，心中感到不安，遂向上主說：「做這事，實在是犯了重罪。上主，現在我求你，赦免你僕人的罪，因為我所行實在昏愚」。
After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
11 達味清早一起來，上主有話向先知加得──達味的先見者說：
When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
12 「你去告訴達味：上主這樣說：我給你提出三件事，任你揀選一件，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.’”
13 加得來到達味前，告訴他說：「你要在國內三年飢荒呢﹖或要三個月逃避趕你的敵人呢﹖或者要在國內發生三天瘟疫呢﹖現在請你考慮一下，決定我應向那派我來者回覆什麼」。
So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
14 達味對加得說：「我很作難! 我們寧願落在上主的手中，因為衪富於仁慈，而不願落在人手中」。
David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
15 達味就揀選了瘟疫；正當收割麥子時，上主遂使瘟疫降於以色列，為早晨直到規定的時期，由丹直到貝爾舍巴，民間死了七萬人。
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
16 當時，上主派一位使者往耶路撒冷去，要毀滅那座城。達味看見那打擊人民的使者，遂向上主說：「是我犯了罪，行了不義，而這些羊作了什麼﹖請你伸手打擊我和我的父家」。上主後悔降災，遂吩咐那毀滅人民的使者說：「夠了，現今收回你的手! 」那時，上主的使者正站在耶步斯人敖爾難的打禾場上。
But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 當時，上主派一位使者往耶路撒冷去，要毀滅那座城。達味看見那打擊人民的使者，遂向上主說：「是我犯了罪，行了不義，而這些羊作了什麼﹖請你伸手打擊我和我的父家」。上主後悔降災，遂吩咐那毀滅人民的使者說：「夠了，現今收回你的手! 」那時，上主的使者正站在耶步斯人敖爾難的打禾場上。
When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”
18 那一天，加得來到達味前，對他說：「你上去，在敖爾難的打禾場上，為上主建立一座祭壇」。
And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 達味便照加奉上主所吩咐的話上去了。
So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.
20 敖爾難望見君王和他的臣僕向他走來，敖爾難就上前去，俯首至地叩拜君王，
When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.
21 說：「我主大王，為什麼到他僕人這裡來？」達味回答他說：「願向你買這禾場，給上主建立一座祭壇，為平息民間的災禍。」災禍」。
“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
22 敖爾難對達味說：「我主大王看著好的，就拿去祭獻吧! 看，這裏有牛可作全燔祭，有打禾場和牛軛可作木柴。
Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
23 大王，敖爾難願將這一切獻於大王! 」繼而又對君王說：「願上主你的天主悅納你的祭獻! 」
O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
24 君王對敖爾難說：「不成，我非用錢向你買不可 ，我不願用不化錢的全燔祭，獻給上主我的天主」。於是達味以五十「協刻耳」銀子，買了那塊打禾場和牛。
“No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 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。這樣上主才憐恤了那地，以色列間的災禍遂告平息。
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.
