2 Samuel 24

1 Again the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”

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.

2 The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, “Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the sum of the people.”

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.

3 Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

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?

4 Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

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.

5 They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer;

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.

6 then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon,

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

7 and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba.

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.

8 So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

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.

9 Joab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

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.

10 David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, the LORD, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

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.

11 When David rose up in the morning, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

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

12 “Go and speak to David, ‘The LORD says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”

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.

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, saying, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”

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.

14 David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let us fall now into the LORD’s hand, for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into man’s hand.”

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.

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba.

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.

16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” The LORD’s angel was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

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.

17 David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”

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!

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

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.

19 David went up according to the saying of Gad, as the LORD commanded.

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

20 Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. Then Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

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.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing floor, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”

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.

22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.

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.

23 All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

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

24 The king said to Araunah, “No, but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

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;

25 David built an altar to the LORD there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.

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.