2 Samuel 24

1 Again the anger of Yahweh was ignited against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”

And again was the anger of the Lord kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2 The king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count all the people, so that I may know the total number of men fit for battle.”

And the king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, Traverse, I pray thee, all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba', and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3 Joab said to the king, “May Yahweh your God multiply the number of people a hundred times, and may the eyes of my master the king see it take place. But why does my master the king want this?”

Then said Joab unto the king, Now may the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold more, and may the eyes of my Lord the king see it; but why doth my Lord the king find delight in this thing?

4 Nevertheless, the king's word was final against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders went out from the king's presence to count the people of Israel.

Nevertheless the king's word remained firm against Joab, and against the captains of the army: and Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 They crossed over the Jordan and encamped near Aroer, south of the city in the valley. Then they traveled on through Gad to Jazer.

And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in 'Aro'er, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad, and toward Ya'zer:

6 They came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi, then on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.

Then they came to Gil'ad, and to the land of Tachtimchodshi; and they came to Dan-ya'an, and about to Zidon;

7 They reached the stronghold of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to the Negev in Judah at Beersheba.

And they came to the strong-hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, up to Beer-sheba'.

8 When they had gone throughout all the land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

And so they traversed all the land, and they came at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem.

9 Then Joab reported the total of the count of the fighting men to the king. There were in Israel 800,000 brave men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men.

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 Then David's heart afflicted him after he had counted the men. So he said to Yahweh, “I have greatly sinned by doing this. Now, Yahweh, take away your servant's guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, cause the iniquity of thy servant to pass away; for I have acted very foolishly.

11 When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

And when David was arisen in the morning, The word of the Lord came unto Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying,

12 “Go say to David: 'This is what Yahweh says: “I am giving you three choices. Choose one of them.”'”

Go and speak unto David, Thus hath said the Lord, Three things do I offer thee: choose for thyself one of them, and I will do it unto thee.

13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Will three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months from your enemies while they pursue you? Or will there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what answer I should return to him who sent me.”

So Gad came to David, and told it unto him; and he said unto him, Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? or three months, that thou flee before thy enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be for three days a pestilence in thy land? now consider and see what word I shall bring back to him that hath sent me.

14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in deep trouble. Let us fall into Yahweh's hands rather than into the hand of man, for his merciful actions are very great.”

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall then into the hand of the Lord, —for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

15 So Yahweh sent a plague on Israel from the morning to a fixed time, and seventy thousand people died from Dan to Beersheba.

And the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba' seventy thousand men.

16 When the angel reached out with his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh changed his mind because of the harm it would cause, and he said to the angel who was destroying people, “Enough! Now draw back your hand.” At that time the angel of Yahweh was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord bethought himself of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed among the people, It is enough: now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingfloor of Aravnah the Jebusite.

17 Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who had attacked the people, and said, “I have sinned, and I have acted perversely. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand punish me and my father's family!”

And David spoke unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Lo, I have indeed sinned, and I have truly done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

18 Then Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar for Yahweh at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

And Gad came to David on that day, and said unto him, Go up, erect an altar unto the Lord on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Jebusite.

19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, as Yahweh had commanded.

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

20 Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching. So Araunah went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.

And Aravnah looked up, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Aravnah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my master the king come to me, his servant?” David replied, “To buy your threshing floor, so I can build an altar for Yahweh, so that the plague may be removed from the people.”

And Aravnah said, Wherefore is my Lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy from thee the threshingfloor, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 Araunah said to David, “Take it as your own, my master the king. Do with it what is good in your sight. Look, here are oxen for the burnt offering and threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

And Aravnah said unto David, Let my Lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good in his eyes: behold, the oxen are here for burnt-offerings, and the threshing rollers and the harness of the oxen for wood.

23 All this, my king, I, Araunah, will give to you.” Then he said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”

All these things did Aravnah, [for] the king, give unto the king. And Aravnah said unto the king, May the Lord thy God receive thee favorably.

24 The king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it at a price. I will not offer as a burnt offering to Yahweh anything that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

And the king said unto Aravnah, No; but I will surely buy it from thee at the value; for I will not offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God without paying therefor. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 David built an altar for Yahweh there and offered on it burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So Yahweh answered the prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was confined.

And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: and the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.