2 Samuel 24
1 And the fury of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and he stirred up David among them, saying: “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
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」。
2 And the king said to Joab, the leader of his army, “Travel through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, so that I may know their number.”
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」。
3 And Joab said to the king: “May the Lord your God increase your people, who are already great in number, and may he again increase them, one hundredfold, in the sight of my lord the king. But what does my lord the king intend for himself by this kind of thing?”
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﹖」
4 But the words of the king prevailed over the words of Joab and the leaders of the army. And so Joab and the leaders of the military departed from the face of the king, so that they might number the people of Israel.
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。
5 And when they had passed across the Jordan, they arrived at Aroer, to the right of the city, which is in the Valley of Gad.
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，
6 And they continued on through Jazer, into Gilead, and to the lower land of Hodsi. And they arrived in the woodlands of Dan. And going around beside Sidon,
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。
7 they passed near the walls of Tyre, and near all the land of the Hivite and the Canaanite. And they went into the south of Judah, to Beersheba.
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。
8 And having inspected the entire land, after nine months and twenty days, they were present in Jerusalem.
他們走遍了全國，經過九個月零二十天，回到了耶路撒冷。
9 Then Joab gave the number of the description of the people to the king. And there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand able-bodied men, who might draw the sword; and of Judah, five hundred thousand fighting men.
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﹖
10 Then the heart of David struck him, after the people were numbered. And David said to the Lord: “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But I pray that you, O Lord, may take away the iniquity of your servant. For I have acted very foolishly.”
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」。
11 And David rose up in the morning, and the word of the Lord went to Gad, the prophet and seer of David, saying:
達味清早一起來，上主有話向先知加得──達味的先見者說：
12 “Go, and say to David: ‘Thus says the Lord: I present to you a choice of three things. Choose one of these, whichever you will, so that I may do it to you.’”
「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」。
13 And when Gad had gone to David, he announced it to him, saying: “Either seven years of famine will come to you in your land; or you will flee for three months from your adversaries, and they will pursue you; or there will be a pestilence in your land for three days. Now then, deliberate, and see what word I may respond to him who sent me.”
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」。
14 Then David said to Gad: “I am in great anguish. But it is better that I should fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hands of men.”
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」。
15 And the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people, from Dan to Beersheba, seventy thousand men.
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。
16 And when the Angel of the Lord had extended his hand over Jerusalem, so that he might destroy it, the Lord took pity on the affliction. And he said to the Angel who was striking the people: “It is enough. Hold back your hand now.” And the Angel of the Lord was beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
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。
17 And when he had seen the Angel cutting down the people, David said to the Lord: “I am the one who sinned. I have acted iniquitously. These ones who are the sheep, what have they done? I beg you that your hand may be turned against me and against my father’s house.”
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。
18 Then Gad went to David on that day, and he said, “Ascend and construct an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
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」。
19 And David ascended in accord with the word of Gad, which the Lord had commanded to him.
達味便照加奉上主所吩咐的話上去了。
20 And looking out, Araunah turned his attention to the king and his servants, passing toward him.
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，
21 And going out, he adored the king, lying prone with his face to the ground, and he said, “What is the reason that my lord the king has come to his servant?” And David said to him, “So as to purchase the threshing floor from you, and to build an altar to the Lord, and to quiet the plague that rages among the people.”
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」。
22 And Araunah said to David: “May my lord the king offer and accept whatever is pleasing to him. You have oxen for a holocaust, and the cart and the yokes of the oxen to use for wood.”
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。
23 All these things Araunah gave, as a king to a king. And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept your vow.”
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! 」
24 And in response, the king said to him: “It shall not be as you wish. Instead, I will purchase it from you at a price. For I will not offer to the Lord, my God, holocausts that cost nothing.” Therefore, David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
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。
25 And in that place, David built an altar to the Lord. And he offered holocausts and peace offerings. And the Lord was gracious to the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.
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。
