21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
21:2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
21:3 But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
21:4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.
21:5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
21:6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.
21:7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
21:8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
21:9 The LORD said to Gad, David’s seer,
21:10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”
21:11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice:
21:12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD–days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
21:13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
21:14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
21:15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
21:16 David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
21:17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”
21:18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
21:19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.
21:20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves.
21:21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.
21:22 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”
21:23 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”
21:24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
21:25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.
21:26 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
21:27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
21:28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
21:29 The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.
21:30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.
21:2 And David said to Joab and to the captains of the people, Go and count Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring the results to me, that I may know their number.
21:3 And Joab said, May Jehovah add to His people a hundred times as many as they are. But, O my lord the king, are they not all my lord s servants? Why does my lord request this? Why should he become a cause of guilt to Israel?
21:4 Nevertheless the king s word prevailed over Joab, and Joab went forth and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
21:5 And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. And all Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah was four hundred seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
21:6 But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king s word was abhorrent to Joab.
21:7 And this matter displeased God, and He struck Israel.
21:8 And David said to God, I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing; but now put away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.
21:9 And Jehovah spoke to Gad, David s seer, saying,
21:10 Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says Jehovah, I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, that I may do it to you.
21:11 So Gad went to David and said to him, Thus says Jehovah, Take for yourself
21:12 Either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your adversaries, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or three days of the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. And now see what word I should return to Him who sent me.
21:13 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall into the hand of Jehovah, for His compassions are very great; and do not let me fall into the hand of man.
21:14 So Jehovah sent a pestilence in Israel, and seventy thousand people of Israel fell.
21:15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was destroying it, Jehovah saw and repented of the harm. And He said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now hold back your hand. And the angel of Jehovah was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
21:16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Jehovah standing between the earth and the heavens, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces.
21:17 And David said to God, Was it not I who ordered the numbering of the people? And it is I who have sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O Jehovah my God, let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against the house of my father, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.
21:18 And the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise up an altar to Jehovah on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
21:19 And David went up at Gad s word, which he spoke in the name of Jehovah.
21:20 And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves; and Ornan was threshing wheat.
21:21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David. And he went forth from the threshing floor and bowed down to David with his face to the ground.
21:22 And David said to Ornan, Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to Jehovah. For the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
21:23 And Ornan said to David, Take it; and may my lord the king do whatever seems good in his sight. Look, I have given the oxen for the burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for the wood and the wheat for the meal offering ? all this I give.
21:24 But King David said to Ornan, No; but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for Jehovah and offer up burnt offerings that cost me nothing.
21:25 So David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.
21:26 And there David built an altar to Jehovah, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called on Jehovah, and He answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.
21:27 And Jehovah commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
21:28 At that time, when David saw that Jehovah had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
21:29 And the tabernacle of Jehovah, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering at that time were in the high place at Gibeon.
21:30 And David was not able to go before it to inquire of God because he was terrified of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.