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 the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved 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.'

For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, 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?'

And Joab said to the king, Now the LORD thy God add to the people, as many as they may be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king 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;

But the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host 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 Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

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 Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, 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 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, even to Beersheba.

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,

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

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 presented the sum of the number of the people to 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 to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in what I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 And David riseth in the morning, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Gad the prophet, seer of David, saying,

For when David had risen in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, 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 say to David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it to 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 him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come upon thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now consider, and see what answer I shall return to him that 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 to Gad, I am in deep distress: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and 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,

So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba 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 upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah 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 to the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have 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 that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 and David goeth up, according to the word of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.

And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD 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 Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon 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 Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar to 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 Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good to him: behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments 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 Araunah, as a king, give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

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 to Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor 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 to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.