2 Samuel 24

1 And the anger of Jehovah addeth to burn against Israel, and [an adversary] moveth David about them, saying, 'Go, number 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 And the king saith unto Joab, head of the host that [is] with him, 'Go to and fro, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and inspect ye the people — and I have known the number of the people.'

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 And Joab saith unto the king, 'Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?'

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 And the word of the king is severe towards Joab, and against the heads of the force, and Joab goeth out, and the heads of the force, [from] before the king to inspect the people, even 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 and they pass over the Jordan, and encamp in Aroer, on the right of the city that [is] in the midst of the brook of Gad, and unto 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 and they come in to Gilead, and unto the land of Tahtim-Hodshi, and they come in to Dan-Jaan, and round about unto Zidon,

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

7 and they come in to the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivite, and of the Canaanite, and go out unto the south of Judah, to Beer-Sheba.

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 And they go to and fro through all the land, and come in at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem,

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

9 and Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand 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 And the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, 'I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, 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 And David riseth in the morning, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Gad the prophet, seer of David, 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, and thou hast spoken unto David, Thus said Jehovah: Three — I am lifting up for thee, choose thee one of them, and I do [it] to thee.'

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 And Gad cometh in unto David, and declareth to him, and saith to him, 'Do seven years of famine come in to thee in thy land? or three months art thou fleeing before thine adversary — and he pursuing thee? or are three days' pestilence in thy land? now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending 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 And David saith unto Gad, 'I have great distress, let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for many [are] His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.'

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 And Jehovah giveth a pestilence on Israel from the morning even unto the time appointed, and there die of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, seventy thousand men,

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 and the messenger putteth forth his hand to Jerusalem to destroy it, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil, and saith to the messenger who is destroying among the people, 'Enough, now, cease thy hand;' and the messenger of Jehovah was near 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 And David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, 'Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these — the flock — what have they done? Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.'

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 And Gad cometh in unto David on that day, and saith to him, 'Go up, raise to Jehovah an altar in 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 and David goeth up, according to the word of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.

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

20 And Araunah looketh, and seeth the king and his servants passing over unto him, and Araunah goeth out and boweth himself to the king — his face to the earth.

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 And Araunah saith, 'Wherefore hath my lord the king come unto his servant?' and David saith, 'To buy from thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar to Jehovah, and the plague is restrained 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 And Araunah saith unto David, 'Let my lord the king take and cause to ascend that which is good in his eyes; see, the oxen for a burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments, and the instruments of the oxen, for 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 the whole hath Araunah given, [as] a king to a king; and Araunah saith unto the king, 'Jehovah thy God doth accept thee.'

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 And the king saith unto Araunah, 'Nay, for I do surely buy from thee for a price, and I do not cause to ascend to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings for nought;' and David buyeth 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 and David buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and Jehovah is entreated for the land, and the plague is restrained from Israel.

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.