1 Chronicles 21

1 Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”

3 But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem.

5 And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.

6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.

7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel.

8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

9 And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,

10 “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”

11 So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You must choose

12 between three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”

13 David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

15 Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

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 Ornan the Jebusite.

19 So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.

20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

21 David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown before David.

22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”

23 Ornan said to David, “Take it! May my lord the king do whatever seems good to 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 it all.”

24 “No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor will I offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

25 So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site.

26 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

29 For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,

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.

1 ¶ And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know [it].

3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they [be]: but, my lord the king, [are] they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all [they of] Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah [was] four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

7 ¶ And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three [things]: choose thee one of them, that I may do [it] unto thee.

11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great [are] his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders [of Israel, who were] clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17 And David said unto God, [Is it] not I [that] commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but [as for] these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with [his] face to the ground.

22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of [this] threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

23 And Ornan said unto David, Take [it] to thee, and let my lord the king do [that which is] good in his eyes: lo, I give [thee] the oxen [also] for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.

24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take [that] which [is] thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, [were] at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

30 But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

1 And Satan stood against Israel, and admitted David to number Israel.

2 And David said unto Joab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even unto Dan, and bring them unto me, that I may know how many they are.

3 And Joab said, The LORD do unto his people, as they are now, an hundred times as much: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord ask it? Why shall there be iniquity upon Israel?

4 And the king's word went out against Joab. And Joab went out, and walked through all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5 And he gave the number of the people that were numbered unto David. And there were of all Israel eleven hundred thousand men that drew sword, and Judah four hundred thousand, and seventy thousand men that drew sword.

6 And Levi and Benjamin he numbered not among them: for the king's word was abomination to Joab.

7 But these things displeased God: for he smote Israel.

8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly in doing this: now therefore take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done almost foolishly.

9 And the LORD spake unto Gad the Philistine of David, saying:

10 Go and speak unto David, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I set before thee three things; choose thee one that I do unto thee.

11 And when Gad was come to David, he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

12 Either three years' torment, or three months' flight from thine adversaries, and from the sword of thine enemies, to take thee; or three days the sword of the LORD, and pestilence in the land, to destroy the angel of the LORD throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore see what answer I shall give unto him that sent me.

13 And David said unto Gad: I am almost afraid; but I will fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; and I will not fall into the hands of men.

14 Then the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel, and seventy thousand men fell out of Israel.

15 And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy them. And when the LORD saw the destruction, he repented him of the evil, and said unto the angel that destroyed, It is enough; stay thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Arnan the Jebusite.

16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, and a naked sword stretched out in his hand over Jerusalem. And David and the ancients, covered with sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17 And David said unto God, Am not I he that numbered the people? I am he that hath sinned, and done evil: but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, let thy hand be against me, and against my father's house, and not against thy people to afflict them.

18 And the angel spake unto Gad, that he should tell David to go up, and to set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Arnan the Jebusite.

19 So David went up according to the word of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

20 And Arnan, when he turned, and saw the angel, and his four sons with him, hid themselves: for Arnan threshed wheat.

21 And it came to pass, when David went to Arnan, that Arnan saw and knew David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and worshipped David with his face to the ground.

22 And David said unto Arnan, Give me a place in the threshingfloor, that I may build an altar unto the LORD upon it: for full money shalt thou give it me, that the plague of the people may cease.

23 And Arnan said unto David, Take thee, and do, my lord the king, as it pleaseth thee: behold, I give the ox for a burnt offering, and the crockery for wood, and the wheat for a meat offering: all these I give.

24 And king David said unto Arnan, Not so, but for a full price will I buy it: for I will not take that which is thine before the LORD, neither will I have it for a free burnt offering.

25 So David gave Arnan for the room of gold by weight six hundred shekels.

26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when he called upon the LORD, he heard him by fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.

27 And the LORD spake unto the angel, that he should put up his sword into his sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had heard him in the place of Arnan the Jebusite, he used to sacrifice there.

29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in Gibeon on high.

30 But David could not go before them to seek God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. Ch. 23, v. 1: And David said, Here shall be the house of the LORD God, and this the altar of the burnt offering of Israel.