2 Samuel 24

1 And the strong veniaunce of the Lord addide to be wrooth ayens Israel, and he stiride in hem Dauid, seiynge to Joab, Go thou, and noumbre thou Israel and Juda.

2 And the kyng seide to Joab, the prince of his oost, Go thou bi alle lynagis of Israel fro Dan `til to Bersabee, and noumbre thou the puple, that Y wite the noumbre therof.

3 And Joab seide to the kyng, Thi Lord God encresse to this puple, `hou greet it is now, and eft multiplie he an hundrid fold in the siyt of my lord the kyng; but what wole my lord the kyng to hym silf in sich a thing?

4 Sotheli the word of the kyng ouer cam the wordis of Joab, and of the princes of the oost; and Joab yede out, and the princes of the knyytis, fro the face of the kyng, that thei schulden noumbre the puple of Israel.

5 And whanne thei hadden passid Jordan, thei camen in to Aroer, to the riyt side of the citee which is in the valei of Gad;

6 and thei passiden bi Jazer in to Galaad, and in to the lowere lond of Odsi, and camen in to the wodi places of Dan; and thei cumpassiden bisidis Sidon,

7 and passiden nyy the wallis of Tire, and nyy al the lond of Euei, and of Chananei; and thei camen to the south of Juda, in Bersabee.

8 And whanne al the lond was cumpassid, thei camen aftir nyne monethis and twenti daies in to Jerusalem.

9 Therfor Joab yaf the noumbre of discriuyng of the puple to the kyng. And of Israel weren foundun nyne hundryd thousynd of stronge men, that drewen out swerd; and of Juda fyue hundrid thousynde of fiyteris.

10 Forsothe the herte of Dauid smoot hym, `that is, his concience repreuyde hym, aftir that the puple was noumbrid; and Dauid seide to the Lord, Y synnede greetli in this dede; but, Lord, Y preye that thou turne awei the wickidnesse of thi seruaunt, for Y dide ful folili.

11 Therfor Dauid roos eerli, and the word of the Lord was maad to Gad, the prophete and seere, and seide, Go thou,

12 and speke to Dauid, The Lord seith these thingis, The chesyng of thre thingis is youun to thee; chese thou oon, which thou wolt of these, that Y do to thee.

13 And whanne Gad hadde come to Dauid, he telde to Dauid, and seide, Ether hungur schal come to thee in thi lond seuene yeer; ethir thre monethis thou schalt fle thin aduersaries, and thei schulen pursue thee; ether certis thre daies pestilence schal be in thi lond; now therfor delyuere thou, `ether auyse thou, and se, what word Y schal answere to hym that sente me.

14 Forsothe Dauid seide to Gad, Y am constreyned on ech side greetli; but it is betere that Y falle in to the hondis of the Lord, for his emercies ben manye, than in the hondis of men.

15 And the Lord sente pestilence in to Israel fro the morewtid `til to the tyme ordeyned; and seuenti thousynde of men weren deed of the puple fro Dan `til to Bersabee.

16 And whanne the aungel of the Lord hadde holde forth his hond ouer Jerusalem, that he schulde distrie it, the Lord hadde mercy on the turmentyng; and seide to the aungel smytynge the puple, It sufficith now; withholde thin hond. Forsothe the aungel of the Lord was bisidis the corn floor of Areuna Jebusey.

17 And Dauid seide to the Lord, whanne he hadde seyn the aungel sleynge the puple, Y am he that `haue synned, and Y dide wickidli; what han these do, that ben scheep? Y biseche, thin hond be turned ayens me, and ayens the hows of my fadir.

18 Forsothe Gad, the prophete, cam to Dauid in that dai, and seide to hym, Stie thou, and ordeyne an auter to the Lord in the corn floor of Areuna Jebusei.

19 And Dauid stiede, vpe the word of Gad, which the Lord hadde comaundid to hym.

20 And Areuna bihelde, and perseyuede, that the kyng and hise seruauntis passiden to hym;

21 and he yede out, and worschipide the kyng bi low cheer to the erthe; and seide, What `cause is, that my lord the kyng cometh to his seruaunt? To whom Dauid seide, That Y bie of thee the corn floor, and bilde an auter to the Lord, and the sleynge ceesse, which is cruel in the puple.

22 And Areuna seide to Dauid, My lord the kyng take, and offre, as it plesith hym; thou hast oxis in to brent sacrifice, and a wayn and yockis of oxis in to vss of wode.

23 Areuna yaf alle thingis to the king. And Areuna seide to the king, Thi Lord God reseyue thi vow.

24 To whom the king answeride, and seide, Not as thou wolt, but Y schal bie of thee for prijs, and Y schal not offre to `my Lord God brent sacrifices youun freli. Therfor Dauid bouyte the corn floor, and `he bouyte oxis for fifti siclis of siluer.

25 And Dauid bildide there an auter to the Lord, and offride brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices; and the Lord dide merci to the lond, and the veniaunce was refreyned fro Israel.