歷代志上 21
1 撒但起來攻擊以色列人，激動大衛數點他們。
Satan interfered to cause trouble for Israel. He provoked David to do a census of Israel.
2 大衛就吩咐約押和民中的首領說：「你們去數點以色列人，從別是巴直到但，回來告訴我，我好知道他們的數目。」
So David told Joab and the army commanders, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so I can have a total number.”
3 約押說：「願耶和華使他的百姓比現在加增百倍。我主我王啊，他們不都是你的僕人嗎？我主為何吩咐行這事，為何使以色列人陷在罪裏呢？」
But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his people a hundred times over. Your Majesty, aren't they all your subjects? Why do you want to do this? Why should you make Israel guilty?”
4 但王的命令勝過約押。約押就出去，走遍以色列地，回到耶路撒冷，
But the king was adamant so Joab left and went all over Israel. Eventually he returned to Jerusalem,
5 將百姓的總數奏告大衛：以色列人拿刀的有一百一十萬；猶大人拿刀的有四十七萬。
and he gave David the number of people censused. In Israel there were 1,100,000 fighting men who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
6 惟有利未人和便雅憫人沒有數在其中，因為約押厭惡王的這命令。
However, Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the census total, because he disagreed with what the king had ordered.
7 上帝不喜悅這數點百姓的事，便降災給以色列人。
The Lord considered the census a bad thing to do and he punished Israel for it.
8 大衛禱告上帝說：「我行這事大有罪了！現在求你除掉僕人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」
Then David said to God, “I have committed a terrible sin by doing this. Please take away the guilt of your servant, for I have been very stupid.”
9 耶和華吩咐大衛的先見迦得說：
The Lord told Gad, David's seer,
10 「你去告訴大衛說，耶和華如此說：我有三樣災，隨你選擇一樣，我好降與你。」
“Go and tell David that this is what the Lord says: ‘I'm giving you three options. Choose one of them, and that's what I'll do to you.’”
11 於是，迦得來見大衛，對他說：「耶和華如此說：『你可以隨意選擇：
So Gad went and told David, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Make your choice:
12 或三年的饑荒；或敗在你敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月；或在你國中有耶和華的刀，就是三日的瘟疫，耶和華的使者在以色列的四境施行毀滅。』現在你要想一想，我好回覆那差我來的。」
either three years of famine; or three months of devastation, running from the swords of your enemies; or three days of the Lord's sword—in other words three days of plague in the land, with an angel of the Lord causing destruction throughout the whole of Israel.’ Now you have to decide how I should reply to the one who sent me.”
13 大衛對迦得說：「我甚為難。我願落在耶和華的手裏，因為他有豐盛的憐憫；我不願落在人的手裏。」
David replied to Gad, “This is an awful situation for me! Please, let the Lord decide my punishment, for he is so merciful. Don't let me be punished by people.”
14 於是，耶和華降瘟疫與以色列人，以色列人就死了七萬。
So the Lord a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelites died.
15 上帝差遣使者去滅耶路撒冷，剛要滅的時候，耶和華看見後悔，就不降這災了，吩咐滅城的天使說：「夠了，住手吧！」那時，耶和華的使者站在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場那裏。
God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was about to destroy it, the Lord saw it, and he relented from causing such a disaster. He told the destroying angel, “That's enough. You can stop now.” Right then the angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 大衛舉目，看見耶和華的使者站在天地間，手裏有拔出來的刀，伸在耶路撒冷以上。大衛和長老都身穿麻衣，面伏於地。
When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, holding his drawn sword extended over Jerusalem, David and the elders, wearing sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 大衛禱告上帝說：「吩咐數點百姓的不是我嗎？我犯了罪，行了惡，但這群羊做了甚麼呢？願耶和華－我上帝的手攻擊我和我的父家，不要攻擊你的民，降瘟疫與他們。」
David said to God, “Wasn't it me who ordered the census of the people? I'm the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Lord my God, please punish me and my family, but don't punish your people with this plague.”
18 耶和華的使者吩咐迦得去告訴大衛，叫他上去，在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上為耶和華築一座壇；
Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 大衛就照着迦得奉耶和華名所說的話上去了。
So David went and did what Gad had told him in the name of the Lord.
20 那時阿珥楠正打麥子，回頭看見天使，就和他四個兒子都藏起來了。
Ornan was busy threshing wheat. He turned around and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him went and hid.
21 大衛到了阿珥楠那裏，阿珥楠看見大衛，就從禾場上出去，臉伏於地，向他下拜。
When David arrived, Ornan looked out and saw David. He left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.
22 大衛對阿珥楠說：「你將這禾場與相連之地賣給我，我必給你足價，我好在其上為耶和華築一座壇，使民間的瘟疫止住。」
David said to Ornan, “Please let me have the threshing floor. I'll buy it at its full price. Then I can build an altar to the Lord here so that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
23 阿珥楠對大衛說：「你可以用這禾場，願我主我王照你所喜悅的去行。我也將牛給你作燔祭，把打糧的器具當柴燒，拿麥子作素祭。這些我都送給你。」
“Take it, and Your Majesty can do whatever you want with it,” Ornan told David. “You can have the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing boards for firewood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I'll give it all to you.”
24 大衛王對阿珥楠說：「不然！我必要用足價向你買。我不用你的物獻給耶和華，也不用白得之物獻為燔祭。」
“No, I insist, I will pay the full price,” replied King David “I won't take for the Lord what is yours or present burnt offerings that didn't cost me anything.”
25 於是大衛為那塊地平了六百舍客勒金子給阿珥楠。
So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the place.
26 大衛在那裏為耶和華築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭，求告耶和華。耶和華就應允他，使火從天降在燔祭壇上。
David built an altar to the Lord there and presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He called on the Lord in prayer, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 耶和華吩咐使者，他就收刀入鞘。
Then the Lord told the angel to put his sword back into its sheath.
28 那時，大衛見耶和華在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上應允了他，就在那裏獻祭。
When David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
29 摩西在曠野所造之耶和華的帳幕和燔祭壇都在基遍的高處；
At that time the tent of the Lord that Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at the high place in Gibeon.
30 只是大衛不敢前去求問上帝，因為懼怕耶和華使者的刀。
But David did not want to go there to ask God's will, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
