2 Samuel 24

1 And the anger of YHWH adds to burn against Israel, and [an adversary] moves David about them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

Again the anger of Yahweh was ignited against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”

2 And the king says to Joab, head of the host that [is] with him, “Now go to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, and inspect the people; then I have known the number of the people.”

The king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count all the people, so that I may know the total number of men fit for battle.”

3 And Joab says to the king, “Indeed, your God YHWH adds to the people, as they are, one hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?”

Joab said to the king, “May Yahweh your God multiply the number of people a hundred times, and may the eyes of my master the king see it take place. But why does my master the king want this?”

4 And the word of the king is severe toward Joab, and against the heads of the force, and Joab goes out, and the heads of the force, [from] before the king to inspect the people, even Israel;

Nevertheless, the king's word was final against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders went out from the king's presence to count the people of Israel.

5 and they pass over the Jordan, and encamp in Aroer, on the right of the city that [is] in the midst of the Brook of Gad, and to Jazer,

They crossed over the Jordan and encamped near Aroer, south of the city in the valley. Then they traveled on through Gad to Jazer.

6 and they come to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-Hodshi, and they come to Dan-Jaan, and around to Sidon,

They came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi, then on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.

7 and they come to the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivite, and of the Canaanite, and go out to the south of Judah, to Beer-Sheba.

They reached the stronghold of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to the Negev in Judah at Beersheba.

8 And they go to and fro through all the land, and come in to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days,

When they had gone throughout all the land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 and Joab gives the account of the inspection of the people to the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valor, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.

Then Joab reported the total of the count of the fighting men to the king. There were in Israel 800,000 brave men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men.

10 And the heart of David strikes him, after that he has numbered the people, and David says to YHWH, “I have greatly sinned in that which I have done, and now, O YHWH, please cause the iniquity of Your servant to pass away, for I have acted very foolishly.”

Then David's heart afflicted him after he had counted the men. So he said to Yahweh, “I have greatly sinned by doing this. Now, Yahweh, take away your servant's guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”

11 And David rises in the morning, and the word of YHWH has been to Gad the prophet, seer of David, saying,

When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12 “Go, and you have spoken to David, Thus said YHWH: I am lifting up three [choices] for you, choose one of them, and I do [it] to you.”

“Go say to David: 'This is what Yahweh says: “I am giving you three choices. Choose one of them.”'”

13 And Gad comes to David, and declares [it] to him, and says to him, “Does seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or are you fleeing before your adversary [for] three months—and he is pursuing you? Or is there pestilence [for] three days in your land? Now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending me.”

So Gad went to David and said to him, “Will three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months from your enemies while they pursue you? Or will there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what answer I should return to him who sent me.”

14 And David says to Gad, “I have great distress; please let us fall into the hand of YHWH, for His mercies [are] many, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

Then David said to Gad, “I am in deep trouble. Let us fall into Yahweh's hands rather than into the hand of man, for his merciful actions are very great.”

15 And YHWH gives a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed, and there dies of the people, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, seventy thousand men,

So Yahweh sent a plague on Israel from the morning to a fixed time, and seventy thousand people died from Dan to Beersheba.

16 and the messenger puts forth his hand to Jerusalem to destroy it, and YHWH sighs concerning the calamity, and says to the messenger who is destroying among the people, “Enough, now, cease your hand”; and the messenger of YHWH was near the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When the angel reached out with his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh changed his mind because of the harm it would cause, and he said to the angel who was destroying people, “Enough! Now draw back your hand.” At that time the angel of Yahweh was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 And David speaks to YHWH when he sees the messenger who is striking among the people, and says, “Behold, I have sinned, indeed, I have done perversely; and these—the flock—what have they done? Please let Your hand be on me and on the house of my father.”

Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who had attacked the people, and said, “I have sinned, and I have acted perversely. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand punish me and my father's family!”

18 And Gad comes to David on that day and says to him, “Go up, raise an altar to YHWH in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite”;

Then Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar for Yahweh at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

19 and David goes up, according to the word of Gad, as YHWH commanded.

So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, as Yahweh had commanded.

20 And Araunah looks, and sees the king and his servants passing over to him, and Araunah goes out and bows himself to the king [with] his face to the earth.

Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching. So Araunah went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.

21 And Araunah says, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David says, “To buy the threshing-floor from you, to build an altar to YHWH, and the plague is restrained from the people.”

Then Araunah said, “Why has my master the king come to me, his servant?” David replied, “To buy your threshing floor, so I can build an altar for Yahweh, so that the plague may be removed from the people.”

22 And Araunah says to David, “Let my lord the king take [it] and cause that which is good in his eyes to ascend; see, [here are] the oxen for a burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments, and the instruments of the oxen, for wood”;

Araunah said to David, “Take it as your own, my master the king. Do with it what is good in your sight. Look, here are oxen for the burnt offering and threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

23 Araunah has given the whole [as] a king to a king; and Araunah says to the king, “Your God YHWH accepts you.”

All this, my king, I, Araunah, will give to you.” Then he said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”

24 And the king says to Araunah, “No, for I surely buy from you for a price, and I do not cause burnt-offerings to ascend to my God YHWH for nothing”; and David buys the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver,

The king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it at a price. I will not offer as a burnt offering to Yahweh anything that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 and David builds an altar to YHWH there, and causes burnt-offerings and peace-offerings to ascend, and YHWH accepts the plea for the land, and the plague is restrained from Israel.

David built an altar for Yahweh there and offered on it burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So Yahweh answered the prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was confined.