1
And again the anger of Jehovah was··fierce against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, Go, count Israel and Judah.
2
And the king said to▵ Joab, the commander◦ of the host, who was with◦ him, Go··around, I pray◦, in all the tribes◦ of Israel, from Dan and even··to Beer-sheba, and muster ye the people, and I will know the number of the people.
3
And Joab said unto▵ the king, And may Jehovah thy God add to▵ the people, as these◦ and as these◦, a hundred times◦, and may the eyes of my lord the king see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?
4
But the word of the king was··firm against▵ Joab and against the princes of the host, and Joab and the princes of the host went··out before the king to number◦ the people Israel.
5
And they crossed the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, to the right of the city that is in the midst of the brook of Gad and toward▵ Jazer.
6
And they came to Gilead, and to▵ the land of Tachtim-chodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and all around to▵ Zidon.
7
And they came to the fortress of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivite and of the Canaanite; and they went··out to▵ the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba.
8
And they went··around in all the land, and they came at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem.
9
And Joab gave the number of the numbering◦ of the people to▵ the king; and Israel was eight hundred thousand men◦ of valor, drawing▵ the sword; and the men◦ of Judah five hundred thousand men◦.
10
And the heart of David smote him, after that he numbered the people. And David said unto▵ Jehovah, I have sinned exceedingly in what I have done; and now, Jehovah, cause, I pray◦, the iniquity of Thy servant to pass··on, for I have been· very ·senseless.
11
And David arose in the morning and the word of Jehovah was to▵ Gad the prophet, visionary of David, saying,
12
Go◦ and speak unto▵ David, Thus says Jehovah, Three things I▵ carry◦ to thee. Choose thee one of them◦, and I will do it unto thee.
13
And Gad came to▵ David and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine adversaries, and he◦ pursue thee? or that there be three days pestilence in thy land? Now know and see what word I shall return to Him that sent me.
14
And David said to▵ Gad, I am in adversity exceedingly; let us fall, I pray◦, into the hand of Jehovah, for His compassions are many: but into the hand of man let us not fall.
15
And Jehovah sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning and even··to the time··appointed; and there died of the people from Dan and even··to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men◦.
16
And the angel put··forth◦ his hand on Jerusalem to destroy her; but Jehovah repented of the evil, and said to the angel destroying the people, It is much, now slacken thy hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing··floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17
And David said unto▵ Jehovah, when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Behold, I▵ have sinned, and I▵ have committed··iniquity; but these, the flock, what have they done? Let Thy hand, I pray◦, be against me and against my father’s house.
18
And Gad came to▵ David that◦ day, and said unto him, Go··up, raise··up an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing··floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19
And David went··up according to the word of Gad and as◦ Jehovah commanded.
20
And Araunah looked··out, and saw the king and his servants crossing··over toward him; and Araunah went··out and bowed· himself ·down before the king, his face◦ to the earth.
21
And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to▵ his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing··floor from thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the striking may be restrained from on the people.
22
And Araunah said unto▵ David, Let my lord the king take and offer··up what is good in his eyes; see the cattle for a burnt··offering and the threshers◦ and the vessels of the cattle for wood.
23
All these did Araunah the king* give to the king. And Araunah said to▵ the king, Jehovah thy God be··well··pleased with thee.
24
And the king said unto▵ Araunah, No; but◦ buying I will buy it of thee at a price; and I will not offer··up burnt··offerings unto Jehovah my God for··nothing. And David bought the threshing··floor and the cattle for fifty shekels of silver.
25
And David built there an altar to Jehovah, and offered··up burnt··offerings and peace··offerings. And Jehovah was supplicated for the land, and the striking was restrained from on Israel.
