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」。

And again was the anger of the Lord kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them to say, Go, number 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」。

And the king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, Traverse, I pray thee, all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba', and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

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﹖」

Then said Joab unto the king, Now may the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold more, and may the eyes of my Lord the king see it; but why doth my Lord the king find delight in this 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 remained firm against Joab, and against the captains of the army: and Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people 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，

And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in 'Aro'er, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad, and toward Ya'zer:

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 came to Gil'ad, and to the land of Tachtimchodshi; and they came to Dan-ya'an, and about to Zidon;

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。

And they came to the strong-hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, up to Beer-sheba'.

8 他們走遍了全國，經過九個月零二十天，回到了耶路撒冷。

And so they traversed all the land, and they came at the end of nine months and twenty days 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 gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

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」。

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, cause the iniquity of thy servant to pass away; 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：

And when David was arisen in the morning, The word of the Lord came unto Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying,

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 speak unto David, Thus hath said the Lord, Three things do I offer thee: choose for thyself one of them, and I will do it unto thee.

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 came to David, and told it unto him; and he said unto him, Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? or three months, that thou flee before thy enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be for three days a pestilence in thy land? now consider and see what word I shall bring back to him that hath 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」。

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall then into the hand of the Lord, —for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

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。

And the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba' seventy thousand men.

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。

And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord bethought himself of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed among the people, It is enough: now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingfloor of Aravnah 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。

And David spoke unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Lo, I have indeed sinned, and I have truly done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against 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 Gad came to David on that day, and said unto him, Go up, erect an altar unto the Lord on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Jebusite.

19 達味便照加奉上主所吩咐的話上去了。

And David went up, according to the word of Gad, 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，

And Aravnah looked up, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Aravnah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

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」。

And Aravnah said, Wherefore is my Lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy from thee the threshingfloor, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

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。

And Aravnah said unto David, Let my Lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good in his eyes: behold, the oxen are here for burnt-offerings, and the threshing rollers and the harness of the oxen for 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! 」

All these things did Aravnah, [for] the king, give unto the king. And Aravnah said unto the king, May the Lord thy God receive thee favorably.

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。

And the king said unto Aravnah, No; but I will surely buy it from thee at the value; for I will not offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God without paying therefor. 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 David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: and the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.