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.

And the Lord caused his anger to burn forth again in Israel, and [Satan] stirred up David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Juda.

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.

And the king said to Joab commander of the host, who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel and Juda, from Dan even to Bersabee, and number the people, and I will know the number of the people.

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?

And Joab said to the king, Now may the Lord add to the people a hundred-fold as many as they are, and [may] the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king desire this 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 word of the king prevailed against Joab an the captains of the host: And Joab and the captains of the host went out before the king to number the people 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.

And they went over Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right of the city which is in the midst of the valley of Gad and Eliezer.

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

And they came to Galaad, and into the land of Thabason, which is Adasai, and they came to Danidan and Udan, and compassed 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.

And they came to Mapsar of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Evite and the Chananite: and they came by the South of Juda to Bersabee.

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.

And they compassed the whole land; and they arrived at Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

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 gave in the number of the census of the people to the king: and Israel consisted of eight hundred thousand men of might that drew sword; and the men of Juda, five hundred thousand fighting men.

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.

And the heart of David smote him after he had numbered the people; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned grievously, O Lord, [in] what I have now done: remove, I pray thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have been exceedingly foolish.

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

And David rose early in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, the seer, saying, Go, and speak to David, saying,

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.

Thus saith the Lord, I bring [one of] three things upon thee: now choose thee one of them, and I will do [it] to thee.

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.

And Gad went in to David, and told him, and said to him, Choose [one of these things] to befall thee, whether there shall come upon thee [for] three years famine in thy land; or that thou shouldest flee three months before thine enemies, and they should pursue thee; or that there should be [for] three days mortality in thy land. Now then decide, and see what answer I shall return to him that 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.

And David said to Gad, On every side I am much straitened: let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his compassions [are] very many; and let me not fall into the hands of man.

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 David chose for himself the mortality: and [they were] the days of wheat-harvest; and the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning till noon, and the plague began among the people; and there died of the people from Dan even to Bersabee seventy thousand men.

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.

And the angel of the Lord stretched out his hand against Jerusalem to destroy it, and the Lord repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, [It is] enough now, withhold thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing-floor of Orna 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!

And David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel smiting the people, and he said, Behold, it is I that have done wrong, but these sheep what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be upon me, and upon 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 Gad came to David in that day, and said to him, Go up, and set up to the Lord and altar in the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite.

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

And David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord commanded him.

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.

And Orna looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on before him: and Orna went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the earth.

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.

And Orna said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? and David said, To buy of thee the threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to the Lord that the plague may be restrained from off the people.

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.

And Orna said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer to the Lord that which is good in his eyes: behold, [here are] oxen for a whole-burnt-offering, and the wheels and furniture of the oxen for wood.

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

Orna gave all to the king: and Orna said to the king, The Lord thy God bless thee.

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;

And the king said to Orna, Nay, but I will surely buy it of thee at a fair price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God a whole-burnt-offering for nothing. So David purchased 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 David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: and Solomon made an addition to the altar afterwards, for it was little at first. And the Lord hearkened to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.