I Paralipomenon 21
1 consurrexit autem Satan contra Israhel et incitavit David ut numeraret Israhel
Satan decided to cause the Israeli people to have trouble. So he incited David to find out how many men in Israel [were able to be in the army].
2 dixitque David ad Ioab et ad principes populi ite et numerate Israhel a Bersabee usque Dan et adferte mihi numerum ut sciam
So David commanded Joab and the other army commanders, “Count all the men in Israel [who are able to be in the army]. Start at Beersheba [town in the south] and go all the way to Dan [city in the north]. Then come back and report to me, in order that I may know how many men there are.”
3 responditque Ioab augeat Dominus populum suum centuplum quam sunt nonne domine mi rex omnes servi tui sunt quare hoc quaerit dominus meus quod in peccatum reputetur Israheli
But Joab replied, “Your majesty, even if Yahweh allowed us to have 100 times as many soldiers as we have now, you would [RHQ] still rule all of them. So why do you want us to do this? You will surely [RHQ] cause [all the people of] Israel to be guilty of sinning.”
4 sed sermo regis magis praevaluit egressusque est Ioab et circuivit universum Israhel et reversus est Hierusalem
But David would not change his mind. So Joab [and his soldiers] went everywhere in Israel and in Judah, and counted the people. Then they returned to Jerusalem,
5 deditque David numerum eorum quos circumierat et inventus est omnis Israhel numerus mille milia et centum milia virorum educentium gladium de Iuda autem trecenta septuaginta milia bellatorum
and they reported to David that there were 1,100,000 men in Israel who could be in the army, and 470,000 in Judah.
6 nam Levi et Beniamin non numeravit eo quod invitus exsequeretur regis imperium
Joab did not count the men from the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he was disgusted with what the king had commanded.
7 displicuit autem Deo quod iussum erat et percussit Israhel
David’s command to count the people caused God to become angry, so he [told David that he had decided to] punish [the people of] Israel.
8 dixitque David ad Deum peccavi nimis ut hoc facerem obsecro aufer iniquitatem servi tui quia insipienter egi
Then David prayed, saying, “Yahweh, what I did was very foolish. I have sinned greatly by what I have done. So now I plead with you, please forgive me.”
9 et locutus est Dominus ad Gad videntem David dicens
Then Yahweh said to Gad, David’s prophet,
10 vade et loquere ad David et dic haec dicit Dominus trium tibi optionem do unum quod volueris elige et faciam tibi
“Go and tell this to David: I am allowing you to choose one of three things [to punish you]. I will do whichever one you choose.”
11 cumque venisset Gad ad David dixit ei haec dicit Dominus elige quod volueris
So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You can choose one of these [punishments]:
12 aut tribus annis pestilentiam aut tribus mensibus fugere te hostes tuos et gladium eorum non posse evadere aut tribus diebus gladium Domini et mortem versari in terra et angelum Domini interficere in universis finibus Israhel nunc igitur vide quid respondeam ei qui misit me
three years of famine [in Israel], or three months during which your armies will run away from their enemies [who will attack them with] swords, or three days during which I will send my angel to cause many people in the country to die because of a (plague/very serious illness).’ So, you must decide what I will say to answer [Yahweh, ] the one who sent me.”
13 et dixit David ad Gad ex omni parte me angustiae premunt sed melius mihi est ut incidam in manus Domini quia multae sunt miserationes eius quam in manus hominum
David replied to Gad, “I am very distressed. But allow Yahweh to punish [MTY] me, because he is very merciful. Do not allow humans to punish me, [because they will not be merciful].”
14 misit ergo Dominus pestilentiam in Israhel et ceciderunt de Israhel septuaginta milia virorum
So Yahweh sent a plague on [the people of] Israel, and 70,000 of them died because of it.
15 misit quoque angelum in Hierusalem ut percuteret eam cumque percuteretur vidit Dominus et misertus est super magnitudinem mali et imperavit angelo qui percutiebat sufficit iam cesset manus tua porro angelus Domini stabat iuxta aream Ornan Iebusei
And God sent an angel to destroy the people in Jerusalem by the plague. But when the angel was standing at the ground where Araunah, from the Jebus people-group, threshed grain, Yahweh saw all the suffering that the people had endured, and he was grieved. So he said to the angel, “Stop what you are doing [IDM]! That is enough [IDM]!”
16 levansque David oculos suos vidit angelum Domini stantem inter terram et caelum et evaginatum gladium in manu eius et versum contra Hierusalem et ceciderunt tam ipse quam maiores natu vestiti ciliciis et proni in terram
David looked up and saw the angel whom Yahweh had sent, standing between the sky and the ground. The angel had a sword in his hand that was pointed toward Jerusalem. Then David and the elders [of the city], who were wearing clothes made of rough sackcloth, prostrated themselves on the ground.
17 dixitque David ad Deum nonne ego sum qui iussi ut numeraretur populus ego qui peccavi ego qui malum feci iste grex quid commeruit Domine Deus meus vertatur obsecro manus tua in me et in domum patris mei populus autem tuus non percutiatur
David said to God, “I am [RHQ] the one who ordered the men who could be in the army to be counted. I am the one who has sinned and done what is very wrong, but these people are [as innocent as] [MET] sheep. They have certainly not [RHQ] done anything [that is wrong]. So Yahweh my God, punish [IDM] me and my family, but do not allow this plague to continue to [cause] your people [to become sick and die].”
18 angelus autem Domini praecepit Gad ut diceret David et ascenderet extrueretque altare Domino Deo in area Ornan Iebusei
Then the angel who was sent by Yahweh told Gad to go up to the place where Araunah threshed grain and tell David to build an altar to [worship] Yahweh there.
19 ascendit ergo David iuxta sermonem Gad quem locutus fuerat ex nomine Domini
So [after Gad told] David, [he] obeyed the message that Yahweh [MTY] had given to Gad, [and he went up there].
20 porro Ornan cum suspexisset et vidisset angelum quattuorque filii eius cum eo absconderunt se nam eo tempore terebat in area triticum
While Araunah was threshing some wheat, he turned and saw the angel. His four sons who were with him [also saw the angel, and they] hid themselves.
21 igitur cum venisset David ad Ornan conspexit eum Ornan et processit ei obviam de area et adoravit illum pronus in terram
Then David approached. When Araunah saw him, he left the place where he was threshing grain and prostrated himself, with his face touching the ground.
22 dixitque ei David da mihi locum areae tuae ut aedificem in ea altare Domini ita ut quantum valet argenti accipias et cesset plaga a populo
David said to him, “Please sell me your threshing place in order that I can build an altar here to [worship] Yahweh. Then he will stop this plague. I will pay the full price.”
23 dixit autem Ornan ad David tolle et faciat dominus meus rex quodcumque ei placet sed et boves do in holocaustum et tribulas in ligna et triticum in sacrificium omnia libens praebeo
Araunah replied, “Take it! Your majesty, do whatever you want to. I will give you the oxen [that thresh the grain] for an offering to be completely burned [on the altar]. And I will give you the threshing boards to use as wood [on the altar], and I will give you grain for a grain offering. I will give all those things to you.”
24 dixitque ei rex David nequaquam ita fiet sed argentum dabo quantum valet neque enim tibi auferre debeo et sic offerre Domino holocausta gratuita
But the king said to Araunah, “No, [I will not take these things as a gift]. I will pay you the full price for it. I will not take things that belong to you, things that have cost me nothing and offer them as sacrifices to Yahweh to be completely burned on the altar.”
25 dedit ergo David Ornan pro loco siclos auri iustissimi ponderis sescentos
So David paid Araunah 600 pieces of gold for the whole area.
26 et aedificavit ibi altare Domino obtulitque holocausta et pacifica et invocavit Dominum et exaudivit eum in igne de caelo super altare holocausti
David built an altar to [worship] Yahweh there, and he offered sacrifices to be completely burned [on the altar] and sacrifices to restore fellowship [with Yahweh]. David prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered by sending a fire from heaven [to burn up the offerings] on the altar.
27 praecepitque Dominus angelo et convertit gladium suum in vaginam
Then Yahweh spoke to the angel, and told him to put his sword back into its sheath. [So the angel did that].
28 protinus ergo David videns quod exaudisset eum Dominus in area Ornan Iebusei immolavit ibi victimas
And when David saw that Yahweh had answered him there at the place where Araunah threshed grain [and had ended the plague], he offered sacrifices there.
29 tabernaculum autem Domini quod fecerat Moses in deserto et altare holocaustorum ea tempestate erat in excelso Gabaon
Yahweh’s Sacred Tent, which Moses had commanded to be set up in the desert, and the altar for burning sacrifices completely, were at that time on a hill at Gibeon [city].
30 et non praevaluit David ire ad altare ut ibi obsecraret Deum nimio enim fuerat timore perterritus videns gladium angeli Domini
But David did not want to go there to request God to tell him what he wanted [him to do], because he was afraid that the angel sent from Yahweh [might strike him with] his sword.
