2 Samuel 24

1 And again was the anger of Yahweh kindled against Israel, —so that he suffered David to be moved against them, saying, Go, count Israel and Judah.

Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

2 The king, therefore, said unto Joab, captain of the force, who was with him—Go to and fro, I pray thee, throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer -sheba, and number ye the people, —so shall I know the sum of the people.

So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”

3 Then said Joab unto the king—Yea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and [suffer] the eyes of my lord the king, to see it, —but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing?

But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

4 Notwithstanding, the word of the king prevailed against Joab, and over the captains of the force, —so Joab went forth, with the captains of the force, before the king, to number the people—Israel.

Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel.

5 And they passed over the Jordan, —and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city, that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, even towards Jazer.

They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.

6 Thus came they to Gilead, and unto the land of Tahtim-hodshi, —and came to Dan-jaan, and round about Zidon;

Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.

7 and entered the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites, —and they went out to the South of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.

They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.

8 So, when they had gone to and fro throughout all the land, they came, at the end of nine months and twenty days, unto Jerusalem.

At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And Joab delivered up the sum of the number of the people, unto the king, —and there were found to be, in Israel, eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing the sword, —and, the men of Judah, five hundred thousand men.

And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.

10 And the heart of David smote him, after he had reckoned up the people, —and David said unto Yahweh—I have sinned greatly, in what I have done, Now, therefore, O Yahweh, take away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.

After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

11 And, when David arose in the morning, the word of Yahweh, had come unto Gad the prophet, the seer of David, saying:

When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

12 Go and speak unto David—Thus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee, —choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

“Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”

13 So Gad came in unto David, and told him, —and said to him: Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? Or, for three months, wilt thou flee before thine enemies while, they, pursue thee? Or shall there be, for three days, pestilence in thy land? Now, consider and see, what, answer, I shall return to him that sent me.

So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”

14 And David said unto Gad—I am in a great strait, —let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.

David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

15 So Yahweh sent forth a pestilence throughout Israel, from the morning even unto the time appointed, —and there died of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men.

So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

16 But, when the messenger stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem, to destroy it, then relented Yahweh as to the evil, and he said to the messenger who was destroying the people—Enough! now, stay thy hand. And, the messenger of Yahweh, was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 Then said David unto Yahweh, when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people, yea he said—Lo! I, have sinned, and, I, have done perversely, but what have, these sheep, done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against the house of my father!

When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

18 And Gad came unto David, on that day, —and said unto him—Go up, rear thou unto Yahweh an altar, in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

19 So David went up, according to the word of Gad, as Yahweh had commanded.

So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.

20 And Araunah looked out, and saw the king, and his servants, passing over unto him—so Araunah went forth, and did homage unto the king, with his face to the ground.

When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.

21 Then said Araunah, Wherefore, hath my lord the king come unto his servant? And David said—To buy of thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar unto Yahweh, that the plague may be stayed from off the people.

“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”

22 Then said Araunah unto David, Let my lord the king accept it and cause to ascend what is good in his own eyes, —see! the oxen for the ascending-sacrifice, and the threshing-sledges and ox-yokes for wood.

Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

23 The whole, did Araunah give, as a king to a king. And Araunah said unto the king, Yahweh thy God, accept thee!

O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

24 But the king said unto Araunah—Nay! but I will, buy, it of thee, for a price, and will not cause to ascend unto Yahweh my God, offerings that have cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor, and the oxen, for fifty shekels of silver;

“No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 and David built there an altar unto Yahweh, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and peace-offerings, —then was Yahweh entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.