1 Chronicles 21
1 Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.
Then the accuser stood up, against Israel, —and moved David, to number Israel.
2 David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”
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.
3 Joab said, “May the LORD make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”
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?
4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, then came to Jerusalem.
But, the word of the king, prevailed against Joab, —and Joab departed, and went to and fro throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 Joab gave the sum of the census of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew a sword; and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword.
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.
6 But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
But, Levi and Benjamin, counted he not among them, —for detestable was the word of the king unto Joab.
7 God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.
And it was displeasing in the eyes of God, concerning this thing, —therefore smote he Israel.
8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
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.
9 The LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,
Then spake Yahweh unto Gad, the seer of David saying:
10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘The LORD says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”
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.
11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Take your choice:
So Gad came unto David, —and said to him, Thus, saith Yahweh,
12 either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the LORD’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”
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.
13 David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into the LORD’s hand, for his mercies are very great. Don’t let me fall into man’s hand.”
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.
14 So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
So Yahweh laid pestilence, upon Israel, —and there fell, of Israel, seventy thousand men.
15 God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, the LORD saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” the LORD’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
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.
16 David lifted up his eyes, and saw the LORD’s angel 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 on their faces.
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.
17 David said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”
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!
18 Then the LORD’s angel commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
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.
19 David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the LORD’s name.
So David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spake in the name of Yahweh.
20 Ornan turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
And Ornan turned, and saw the messenger, but, his four sons with him, were hiding themselves, —now, Ornan, had been threshing wheat.
21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
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.
22 Then David said to Ornan, “Sell me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”
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.
23 Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.”
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.
24 King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will most certainly buy it for the full price. For I will not take that which is yours for the LORD, nor offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
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.
25 So David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
So David gave to Ornan, for the place, —shekels of gold, by weight, six hundred.
26 David built an altar to the LORD there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
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.
27 Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
And Yahweh gave word to tile messenger, and he put back his sword into its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
At that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 For the LORD’s tabernacle, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
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;
30 But David couldn’t go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the LORD’s angel.
and David could not go before it, to seek God, —for he had been terrified, because of the sword of the messenger of Yahweh.
