2 Samuel 24

1 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.”

And the wrath of the Lord was againe kindled against Israel, and he moued Dauid against them, in that he saide, Goe, number Israel and Iudah.

2 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.”

For the King said to Ioab the captaine of the hoste, which was with him, Goe speedily now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan euen to Beer-sheba, and nomber ye the people, that I may knowe the nomber of the people.

3 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?”

And Ioab saide vnto the King, The Lord thy God increase the people an hundreth folde more then they be, and that the eyes of my lorde the King may see it: but why doeth my lord the King desire this thing?

4 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.

Notwithstanding the Kings worde preuailed against Ioab and against the captaines of the hoste: therefore Ioab and the captaines of the hoste went out from the presence of the King to nomber the people of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.

And they passed ouer Iorden, and pitched in Aroer at the right side of the citie that is in the middes of the valley of Gad and toward Iazer.

6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.

Then they came to Gilead, and to Tahtim-hodshi, so they came to Dan Iaan, and so about to Zidon,

7 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.

And came to the fortresse of Tyrus and to all the cities of the Hiuites and of the Canaanites, and went towarde the South of Iudah, euen to Beer-sheba.

8 At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.

So when they had gone about all the lande, they returned to Ierusalem at the ende of nine moneths and twentie dayes.

9 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.

And Ioab deliuered the nomber and summe of the people vnto the King: and there were in Israel eight hundreth thousande strong men that drewe swordes, and the men of Iudah were fiue hundreth thousand men.

10 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.”

Then Dauids heart smote him, after that he had numbred the people: and Dauid said vnto the Lord, I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done: therefore nowe, Lord, I beseech thee, take away the trespasse of thy seruant: for I haue done very foolishly.

11 When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

And when Dauid was vp in the morning, the worde of the Lord came vnto the Prophet Gad Dauids Seer, saying,

12 “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.’”

Go, and say vnto Dauid, Thus saith ye Lord, I offer thee three thinges, chuse thee which of them I shall doe vnto thee.

13 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.”

So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him, and said vnto him, Wilt thou that seuen yeeres famine come vpon thee in thy lande, or wilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies, they following thee, or that there bee three dayes pestilence in thy land? nowe aduise thee, and see, what answere I shall giue to him that sent me.

14 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.”

And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait: let vs fall nowe into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.

15 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.

So the Lord sent a pestilece in Israel, from the morning euen to the time appointed: and there dyed of the people from Dan euen to Beer-sheba seuentie thousand men.

16 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.

And when the Angel stretched out his hande vpon Ierusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented of the euil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, It is sufficient, holde nowe thine hand. And the Angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of Araunah the Iebusite.

17 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.”

And Dauid spake vnto the Lord (when he sawe the Angel that smote the people) and saide, Behold, I haue sinned, yea, I haue done wickedly: but these sheepe, what haue they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against mee and against my fathers house.

18 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.”

So Gad came the same day to Dauid, and said vnto him, Go vp, reare an altar vnto the Lord in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite.

19 So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.

And Dauid (according to the saying of Gad) went vp, as the Lord had commanded.

20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.

And Araunah looked, and sawe the King and his seruants comming towarde him, and Araunah went out, and bowed himselfe before the King on his face to the ground,

21 “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.”

And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the King come to his seruant? Then Dauid answered, To bye the threshing floore of thee for to builde an altar vnto the Lord, that the plague may cease from the people.

22 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.

Then Araunah saide vnto Dauid, Let my lord the King take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: beholde the oxen for the burnt offring, and charets, and the instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

(All these things did Araunah as a King giue vnto the King: and Araunah saide vnto the King, The Lord thy God be fauourable vnto thee)

24 “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.

Then the King saide vnto Araunah, Not so, but I will bye it of thee at a price, and will not offer burnt offring vnto ye Lord my God of that which doeth cost me nothing. So Dauid bought the threshing floore, and the oxen for fiftie shekels of siluer.

25 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.

And Dauid built there an altar vnto the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings, and the Lord was appeased toward ye lande, and the plague ceased from Israel.