撒母耳記下 24
1 耶和華又向以色列人發怒，就激動大衛，使他吩咐人去數點以色列人和猶大人。
And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 大衛就吩咐跟隨他的元帥約押說：「你去走遍以色列眾支派，從但直到別是巴，數點百姓，我好知道他們的數目。」
And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 約押對王說：「無論百姓多少，願耶和華－你的上帝再加增百倍，使我主我王親眼得見。我主我王何必喜悅行這事呢？」
And Joab said to the king, May Jehovah thy God even add to the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it]; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 但王的命令勝過約押和眾軍長。約押和眾軍長就從王面前出去，數點以色列的百姓。
But the king's word prevailed 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 count the people of Israel.
5 他們過了約旦河，在迦得谷中、城的右邊亞羅珥安營，與雅謝相對，
And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jaazer.
6 又到了基列和他停‧合示地，又到了但‧雅安，繞到西頓，
And they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and came to Dan-jaan, and to the environs of Sidon;
7 來到泰爾的保障，並希未人和迦南人的各城，又到猶大南方的別是巴。
and they came to the fortified city of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and went out to the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba.
8 他們走遍全地，過了九個月零二十天，就回到耶路撒冷。
And they went through all the land, and came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 約押將百姓的總數奏告於王：以色列拿刀的勇士有八十萬；猶大有五十萬。
And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 大衛數點百姓以後，就心中自責，禱告耶和華說：「我行這事大有罪了。耶和華啊，求你除掉僕人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」
And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, Jehovah, put away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
11 大衛早晨起來，耶和華的話臨到先知迦得，就是大衛的先見，說：
And when David arose in the morning, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 「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 say to David, Thus saith Jehovah: I impose on thee three [things]; choose one of them that I may do it unto thee.
13 於是迦得來見大衛，對他說：「你願意國中有七年的饑荒呢？是在你敵人面前逃跑，被追趕三個月呢？是在你國中有三日的瘟疫呢？現在你要揣摩思想，我好回覆那差我來的。」
And Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine adversaries while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now be aware and consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
14 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。」
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 於是，耶和華降瘟疫與以色列人，自早晨到所定的時候；從但直到別是巴，民間死了七萬人。
And Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the set time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
16 天使向耶路撒冷伸手要滅城的時候，耶和華後悔，就不降這災了，吩咐滅民的天使說：「夠了！住手吧！」那時耶和華的使者在耶布斯人亞勞拿的禾場那裏。
And the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it; but Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed among the people, It is enough: withdraw now thine hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 大衛看見滅民的天使，就禱告耶和華說：「我犯了罪，行了惡；但這群羊做了甚麼呢？願你的手攻擊我和我的父家。」
And David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Behold, it is I that have sinned, and it is I that have committed iniquity; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be on me, and on my father's house!
18 當日，迦得來見大衛，對他說：「你上去，在耶布斯人亞勞拿的禾場上為耶和華築一座壇。」
And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19 大衛就照着迦得奉耶和華名所說的話上去了。
And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as Jehovah had commanded.
20 亞勞拿觀看，見王和他臣僕前來，就迎接出去，臉伏於地，向王下拜，
And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on towards him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
21 說：「我主我王為何來到僕人這裏呢？」大衛說：「我要買你這禾場，為耶和華築一座壇，使民間的瘟疫止住。」
And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22 亞勞拿對大衛說：「我主我王，你喜悅用甚麼，就拿去獻祭。看哪，這裏有牛可以作燔祭，有打糧的器具和套牛的軛可以當柴燒。
And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up that which is good in his sight: see, [here are] oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-sledges and implements of the oxen for wood.
23 王啊，這一切，我亞勞拿都奉給你」；又對王說：「願耶和華－你的上帝悅納你。」
All these things, O king, doth Araunah give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee.
24 王對亞勞拿說：「不然。我必要按着價值向你買；我不肯用白得之物作燔祭獻給耶和華－我的上帝。」大衛就用五十舍客勒銀子買了那禾場與牛。
And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will in any case buy [them] of thee at a price: neither will I offer up to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings without cost. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 大衛在那裏為耶和華築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭。如此，耶和華垂聽國民所求的，瘟疫在以色列人中就止住了。
And David built there an altar to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. And Jehovah was propitious to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
