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 LORD’s anger burnt against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count 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」。
The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, “Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the sum 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﹖」
Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king 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。
Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count 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，
They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to 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 came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came 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。
and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at 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。
So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
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﹖
Joab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who 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」。
David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, the LORD, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done 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 rose up in the morning, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Gad, 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 to David, ‘The LORD says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to 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 came to David, and told him, saying, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return 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 said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let us fall now into the LORD’s hand, for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into man’s hand.”
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 pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba.
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。
When the angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” The LORD’s angel 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。
David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand 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」。
Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, 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。
David went up according to the saying of Gad, as the LORD 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，
Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on towards him. Then Araunah 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」。
Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing floor, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting 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。
Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen 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! 」
All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah 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。
The king said to Araunah, “No, but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which 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。
David built an altar to the LORD there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.
