1 Chronicles 21
1 And an adversary up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
And the Accuser stood up against Israel, and incited David to count Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them."
And David said to Joab, and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba' even to Dan, and bring their number to me, that I may know it.
3 Joab said, "May the LORD make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren't they all my lord's servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?"
Then said Joab, May the Lord add unto his people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold more: are they not all, my lord the king, my lord's servants? why then will my lord require this thing? why shall it be a cause of guiltiness for Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
Nevertheless the king's word remained firm against Joab; and Joab went out, and moved about throughout all Israel, and came [back] to Jerusalem.
5 Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew sword: and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew sword.
And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto David: and there were [in] all Israel a thousand times thousand and one hundred thousand men that drew the sword: and [of] Judah were four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew the sword.
6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
But Levi and Benjamin did he not count among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.
And this thing was displeasing in the eyes of God, and he smote Israel.
8 David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly."
And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, cause the iniquity of thy servant to pass away; for I have acted very foolishly.
9 The LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,
And the Lord spoke unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10 "Go and speak to David, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."'"
Go and speak unto David, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, Three things do I offer thee: choose for thyself one of them, and I will do it unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Take your choice:
So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Select for thyself,
12 either three years of famine; or three months of fleeing from before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.'"
Whether there shall be three years famine; or three months, to be destroyed before thy adversaries, so that the sword of thy enemies overtake thee; or that during three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, shall be in the land, and an angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the boundaries of Israel? And now reflect what word I shall bring back to him that hath sent me.
13 David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are very great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall then into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are very great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel, and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, the LORD saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand." The angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was destroying, the Lord looked on, and he bethought himself of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough: now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heavens, with his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. Then fell David, with the elders wrapt in sackcloth, upon their faces.
17 David said to God, "Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued."
And David said unto God, Was it not I that ordered to count the people? and I am the one that have sinned and have done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house, but not against thy people, that there should be a plague.
18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up, and raise an altar to the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And the angel of the Lord spoke to Gad to say to David, that David should go up, to erect an altar unto the Lord on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.
And David went up by the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord.
20 Ornan turned back, and saw the king, and his four sons who were with him hiding themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
And when Ornan turned back, and saw the angel, then did he and his four sons with him hide themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
And as David came up to Ornan, Ornan looked up and saw David; and he went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build thereon an altar to the LORD. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people."
Then said David to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing-floor, that I may build thereon an altar unto the Lord: for the full price shalt thou give it unto me, so that the plague may be stayed from the people.”
23 Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Look, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all."
And Ornan said unto David, Take it for thyself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes: lo, I give the oxen for burnt-offerings, and the threshing-rollers for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; the whole do I give [thee].
24 King David said to Ornan, "No; but I will most certainly buy it for the full price. For I will not take that which is yours for the LORD, nor offer a burnt offering without cost."
And king David said to Ornan, No: but I will surely buy it at the full value; for I will not take what is thine for the Lord, so as to offer burnt-offerings without paying therefore.
25 So David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 David built an altar to the LORD there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering, and it consumed the burnt offering.
And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and he called on the Lord: and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.
27 The LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into its sheath.
And the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put back his sword into its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
At that time when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then did he sacrifice there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt-offering, were at that time in the high-place at Gib'on.
30 But David couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
But David was not able to go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
