2 Samuel 24

1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

2 So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”

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?”

4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to register the troops of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.

6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.

7 They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.

8 At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.

10 After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

12 “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.’”

13 So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”

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

15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

16 But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

18 And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

19 So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.

20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.

21 “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”

22 Araunah said to David, “May my lord the king take whatever seems good to him and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

23 O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

24 “No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.

1 ¶ And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which [was] with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it]: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that [lieth] in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,

7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, [even] to Beersheba.

8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.

10 ¶ And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three [things]; choose thee one of them, that I may [do it] unto thee.

13 So 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 enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

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

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

18 ¶ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what [seemeth] good unto him: behold, [here be] oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and [other] instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 All these [things] did Araunah, [as] a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

1 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel again, and provoked David among them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2 And the king said unto Joab the captain of his host, Go thou round about all the tribes of Israel from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, and number the people, that I may know how many they are.

3 And Joab said unto the king: The LORD thy God do unto this people, as it is now, an hundred times more, that my lord the king may see the pleasure of his eyes: but what pleasure hath my lord the king in this matter?

4 And the king's word was against Joab, and against the captains of the host. So Joab went out, and the captains of the host, from the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 And they passed over Jordan, and encamped at Aroer on the right hand of the city that is in the brook Gad, and at Jaeser.

6 And they came to Gilead, and to the low country of Hadi: and they came to Dan-jan, and to Zidon.

7 And they came to the strong city of Tyrus, and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out unto the south of Judah to Beersheba.

8 And they compassed all the country, and came to Jerusalem after nine months and twenty days.

9 And Joab gave the king the sum of the people that were numbered. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand mighty men that drew sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand men.

10 And the heart smote David, after that the people were numbered. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing: now therefore, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant: for I have done very foolishly.

11 And when. David arose in the morning, and the word of the LORD came unto Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying:

12 Go and speak unto David, Thus saith the LORD; Three things will I bring unto thee; choose thee one that I do unto thee.

13 And Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Wilt thou that seven years' tribulation shall come upon thy land, or that thou shalt flee from thine adversaries three months, and they shall pursue thee, or that three days' pestilence shall be in thy land? Mark now, and see what I shall say again unto him that sent me.

14 And David said unto Gad: I am almost afraid; but let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great: I will not fall into the hand of man.

15 So the LORD caused a pestilence to come upon Israel from the morning even until the time appointed: and the people died from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, even seventy thousand men.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy her, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said unto the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough; now therefore let thine hand be removed. Now the angel of the LORD was at the threshingfloor of Arafna the Jebusite.

17 And David, when he saw the angel that smote the people, said unto the LORD, Behold, I have sinned, I have done iniquity: what have these sheep done? Let thine hand be against me, and against my father's house.

18 And Gad came to David at that time, and said unto him, Go up, set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Arafna the Jebusite.

19 So David went up, as Gad had said, and as the LORD had commanded.

20 And when Arafna turned, he saw the king going to him with his servants; and he worshipped upon his face to the earth.

21 And he said, Why cometh my lord the king to his servant? And David said, To buy of thee the threshingfloor, and to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague of the people may cease.

22 And Arafna said unto David, My lord the king, take and offer as it pleaseth him: behold, there is an ox for a burnt offering, and bows, and harness of an ox for wood.

23 And Arafna the king gave all to the king. And Arafna said unto the king: The LORD thy God, let thee be acceptable unto him.

24 And the king said unto Arafna, Not so; but I will buy it of thee for his money: for I will not offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God, which I have for nought. So David bought the threshingfloor and the ox for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And there he built an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD made an atonement for the land, and the plague ceased from off the people of Israel.