2 Samuel 24
1 Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he moved David against 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 So the king said to Joab and the captains of the army, who were with him, "Now go back and forth through all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba and number the people, that I may know the sum of the people."
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 But Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this 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 However, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the children 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 They crossed over the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad; then on to Jazer.
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 Then they came to Gilead, and to the region of the Hethites, to Kedesh; and they came to Dan. Then they skirted 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 and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at 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 So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
他們走遍了全國，經過九個月零二十天，回到了耶路撒冷。
9 Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand 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 David's heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, LORD, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done 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 When David rose up in the morning, the word of the LORD came to Gad, David's seer, 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 speak to David, 'Thus says the LORD, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, 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 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return 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 David said to Gad, "All of them are difficult for me. Only let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."
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 So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and the destruction began among the people. And there died of the people from Dan even 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 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough. Now stay your hand." The angel of the LORD was standing near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And 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 down on their faces.
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 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, "Look, I have sinned, and I, the shepherd, have done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be 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 And Gad went to David that day and said, "Go up, build 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 So David went up and did what Gad had said, as the LORD commanded.
達味便照加奉上主所吩咐的話上去了。
20 And Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him, so Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
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 Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy this threshing floor from you to build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague may be held back from 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 But Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the 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 Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you."
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 But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So 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 Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was withdrawn 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。
