24:1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
24:2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
24:3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
24:4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
24:5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.
24:6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.
24:7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
24:8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
24:9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
24:10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
24:11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
24:12 “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.’”
24:13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
24:14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
24:15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
24:16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
24:17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.”
24:18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
24:19 So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.
24:20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
24:21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
24:22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
24:23 O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
24:24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
24:25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
24:1 And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel; and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
24:2 And the king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, Go now throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.
24:3 And Joab said to the king, Now may Jehovah your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king may see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?
24:4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. And Joab and the captains of the army went forth before the king to count the people of Israel.
24:5 And they crossed the Jordan and encamped at Aroer to the right of the city, which was in the midst of the river valley, toward Gad and unto Jazer.
24:6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.
24:7 And they came to the stronghold of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went on to the south of Judah at Beer-sheba.
24:8 And when they had gone about throughout all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
24:9 And Joab gave the number of the count of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
24:10 And David’s heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, O Jehovah, put away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.
24:11 And when David rose up in the morning, the word of Jehovah came to Gad the prophet, David’s seer, saying,
24:12 Go and speak to David, Thus says Jehovah, I am offering you three things; choose one of them for Me to do for you.
24:13 So Gad went to David and told him these things. And he said to him, Shall seven years of famine come upon you in your land? Or shall you flee before your adversaries for three months while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of pestilence in your land? Consider now and see what word I should return to Him who sent me.
24:14 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait; let us fall into the hand of Jehovah, for His compassions are great; and do not let me fall into the hand of man.
24:15 So Jehovah sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand people died among the people from Dan to Beer-sheba.
24:16 And when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented of the harm. And He said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now hold back your hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
24:17 And David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel striking the people and said, It is I who have sinned, and it is I who have acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against the house of my father.
24:18 And Gad came to David on that day; and he said to him, Go up and raise up an altar to Jehovah on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
24:19 And David went up according to Gad’s word, as Jehovah had commanded.
24:20 And Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming over toward him. And Araunah went forth and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
24:21 And Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor from you to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed among the people.
24:22 And Araunah said to David, May my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing instruments and the yokes for the oxen for the wood ?
24:23 All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king. Then Araunah said to the king, May Jehovah your God accept you.
24:24 But the king said to Araunah, No; but I will surely buy it from you for a price, and I will not offer to Jehovah my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
24:25 And there David built an altar to Jehovah, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And Jehovah responded to the entreaty for the land, and the plague was stayed in Israel.