1 Chronicles 21
1 Then the accuser stood up, against Israel, —and moved David, to number Israel.
And the devil stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2 And David said unto Joab and unto the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel, from Beer-sheba even unto Dan, —and bring [the report] unto me, that I may know the number of them.
And king David said to Joab and to the captains of the forces, Go, number Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, and bring me [the account], and I shall know their number.
3 Then said Joab, May Yahweh add unto his people, as many as they are, a hundred times, but are they not, my lord O king, all of them my lord’s, as servants? wherefore should my lord seek this? wherefore should it become guilt to Israel?
And Joab said, May the Lord add to his people, a hundred-fold as many as they [are], and [let] the eyes of my lord the king see [it]: all [are] the servants of my lord. Why does my lord seek this thing? [do it not], lest it become a sin to Israel.
4 But, the word of the king, prevailed against Joab, —and Joab departed, and went to and fro throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab; and Joab went out and passed through all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab delivered the sum of the number of the people, unto David, —and all Israel was found to be a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men, who drew sword, and Judah, four hundred and seventy thousand men, who drew sword.
And Joab gave the number of the mustering of the people to David: and all Israel was a million and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and the sons of Juda [were] four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew sword.
6 But, Levi and Benjamin, counted he not among them, —for detestable was the word of the king unto Joab.
But he numbered not Levi and Benjamin amongst them; for the word of the king was painful to Joab.
7 And it was displeasing in the eyes of God, concerning this thing, —therefore smote he Israel.
And [there was] evil in the sight of the Lord respecting this thing; and he struck Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing, —but, now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have shown myself very foolish.
And David said to God, I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done this thing: and now, I pray you, remove the sin of your servant; for I have been exceedingly foolish.
9 Then spake Yahweh unto Gad, the seer of David saying:
And the Lord spoke to Gad the seer, saying,
10 Go—and thou shalt speak unto David, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee, —choose thee one from among them, that I may do it unto thee.
Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says the Lord, I bring three things upon you: choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.
11 So Gad came unto David, —and said to him, Thus, saith Yahweh,
And Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Choose for yourself,
12 Choose thee: —Whether, for three years, [there be] famine, Or, for three months, that thou flee before thine adversaries, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee, Or, for three days, the sword of Yahweh, and pestilence be in the land, with, the messenger of Yahweh, laying waste throughout all the boundary of Israel, —Now, therefore, see, what, answer, I shall return unto him that sent me.
either three years of famine, or that you should flee three months from the face of your enemies, and the sword of your enemies [shall be employed] to destroy you, or that the sword of the Lord and pestilence [should be] three days in the land, and the angel of the Lord [shall be] destroying in all the inheritance of Israel. And now consider what I shall answer to him that sent the message.
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait, —Oh let me fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for abounding are his compassions, exceedingly, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.
And David said to Gad, They are very hard for me, even [all] the three: let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies [are] very abundant, and let me not fall by any means into the hands of man.
14 So Yahweh laid pestilence, upon Israel, —and there fell, of Israel, seventy thousand men.
So the Lord brought pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent a messenger to Jerusalem, to lay it waste, but, as he was laying it waste, Yahweh looked, and relented concerning the calamity, and said unto the messenger who was laying waste, Enough! now, stay thy hand. And, the messenger of Yahweh, was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord saw, and repented for the evil, and said to the angel that was destroying, Let it suffice you; withhold your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Orna the Jebusite.
16 And, when David lifted up his eyes, and saw the messenger of Yahweh, standing, between the earth and the heavens, and his sword drawn, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem, then fell David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, upon their faces.
And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord, standing between the earth and the heaven, and his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem: and David and the elders clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Was it not, I, who gave word to number the people? Yea, I, it was who sinned and did the great wrong, what then had, these sheep, done? O Yahweh, my God, let thy hand, I beseech thee, be against me, and against the house of my father, but not against, thy people, that they should be plagued!
And David said to God, [Was it] not I [that] gave orders to number the people? and I am the guilty one; I have greatly sinned: but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord God, let your hand be upon me, and upon my father's house, and not on your people for destruction, O Lord!
18 And, the messenger of Yahweh, commanded Gad, to say unto David, —that David should go up, to rear an altar unto Yahweh, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And the angel of the Lord told Gad to tell David, that he should go up to erect and altar to the Lord, in the threshing floor of Orna the Jebusite.
19 So David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spake in the name of Yahweh.
And David went up according to the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the Lord.
20 And Ornan turned, and saw the messenger, but, his four sons with him, were hiding themselves, —now, Ornan, had been threshing wheat.
And Orna turned and saw the king; and he hid himself and his four sons with him. Now Orna was threshing wheat.
21 Then came David unto Ornan, —and Ornan looked, and saw David, and went forth out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself unto David, with his face to the ground.
And David came to Orna; and Orna came forth from the threshing floor, and did obeisance to David with his face to the ground.
22 And David said unto Ornan, Grant me the place of the threshing-floor, that I may build thereon an altar, unto Yahweh, —for silver in full, shalt thou grant it me, that the plague may be stayed from off the people.
And David said to Orna, Give me your place of the threshing floor, and I will build upon it an altar to the Lord: give it me for its worth in money, and the plague shall cease from [amongst] the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do what is good in his own eyes, —see! I have given the oxen for ascending-sacrifices, and, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for a meal-offering, —the whole, have I given.
And Orna said to David, Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is right in his eyes: see, I have given the calves for a whole burnt offering, and the plough for wood, and the corn for a meat-offering; I have given all.
24 Then said King David to Ornan, Nay! but I will, surely buy, it for silver in full, —for I will not take that which is thine for Yahweh, nor offer an ascending-sacrifice that hath cost me nothing.
And king David said to Orna, Nay; for I will surely buy it for its worth in money: for I will not take your property for the Lord, to offer a whole burnt offering to the Lord without cost [to myself].
25 So David gave to Ornan, for the place, —shekels of gold, by weight, six hundred.
And David gave to Orna for his place six hundred shekels of gold [by] weight.
26 And David built there an altar unto Yahweh, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices, and peace-offerings, —and called unto Yahweh, and he responded to him, by fire, out of the heavens, upon the altar of ascending-sacrifice.
And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up whole burnt offerings and peace-offerings: and he cried to the Lord, and he answered him by fire out of heaven on the altar of whole burnt offerings, and [it] consumed the whole burnt offering.
27 And Yahweh gave word to tile messenger, and he put back his sword into its sheath.
And the Lord spoke to the angel; and he put up the sword into its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
At that time when David saw that the Lord answered him in the threshing floor of Orna the Jebusite, he also sacrificed there.
29 But, the habitation of Yahweh, which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of ascending-sacrifice, were, at that time, in the high place at Gibeon;
And the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of whole burnt offerings, [were] at that time in the high place at Gabaon.
30 and David could not go before it, to seek God, —for he had been terrified, because of the sword of the messenger of Yahweh.
And David could not go before it to enquire of God; for he hasted not because of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
