aNow bagain the anger
of the LORD
burned
against Israel
, and it incited
David
against them to say
, " cGo
, number
Israel
and Judah
."
The king said
to Joab
the commander
of the army
who
was with him, "Go
about
now
through all
the tribes
of Israel
, afrom Dan
to Beersheba
, and 1register
the people
, that I may know
the number
of the people
."
But Joab said
to the king
, " aNow may the LORD
your God
add
to the people
a hundred
times
as many as they are, while the eyes
of my lord
the king
still see
; but why
does my lord
the king
delight
in this
thing
?"
Nevertheless, the king's word
prevailed
against
Joab
and against
the commanders
of the army
. So Joab
and the commanders
of the army
went
out from the presence
of the king
to 1register
the people
of Israel
.
They crossed the Jordan
and camped
in aAroer
, on the right
side
of the city
that is in the middle
of the valley
of Gad
and toward
bJazer
.
Then they came to Gilead
and to 1the land
of Tahtim-hodshi
, and they came
to Dan-jaan
and around
to aSidon
,
and came to the afortress
of Tyre
and to all
the cities
of the bHivites
and of the Canaanites
, and they went
out to the south
of Judah
, to cBeersheba
.
So when they had gone about
through the whole
land
, they came
to Jerusalem
at the end
of nine
months
and twenty
days
.
And Joab gave
athe number
of the 1registration
of the people
to the king
; and there were in Israel
beight
hundred
thousand
valiant
men
who drew
the sword
, and the men
of Judah
were five
hundred
thousand
men
.
Now aDavid's heart
1troubled
him after
he had numbered
the people
. So David
said
to the LORD
, " bI have sinned
greatly
in what
I have done
. But now
, O LORD
, please
2take
away
the iniquity
of Your servant
, for cI have acted
very
foolishly
."
When David arose
in the morning
, the word
of the LORD
came
to athe prophet
Gad
, David's
bseer
, saying
,
"Go and speak
to David
, `Thus
the LORD
says
, "I am offering
you three
things
; choose
for yourself one
of them, which I will do
to you.""'
So Gad came
to David
and told
him, and said
to him, "Shall aseven
years
of famine
come
to you in your land
? Or
will you flee
three
months
before
your foes
while they pursue
you? Or shall there be three
days'
pestilence
in your land
? Now
consider
and see
what
answer
I shall return
to Him who sent
me."
Then David said
to Gad
, "I am in great
distress
. Let us now
fall
into the hand
of the LORD
afor His mercies
are great
, but do not let me fall
into the hand
of man
."
So athe LORD 1sent
a pestilence
upon Israel
from the morning
until
the appointed
time
, and seventy
thousand
men
of the people
bfrom Dan
to Beersheba
died
.
aWhen the angel stretched
out his hand
toward Jerusalem
to destroy
it, bthe LORD
relented
from the calamity
and said
to the angel
who destroyed
the people
, "It is enough
! Now
relax
your hand
!" And the angel
of the LORD
was by the threshing
floor
of Araunah
the Jebusite
.
Then David spoke
to the LORD
when he saw
the angel
who was striking
down
the people
, and said
, "Behold
, ait is I who have sinned
, and it is I who have done
wrong
; but bthese
sheep
, what
have they done
? Please
let Your hand
be against me and against my father's
house
."
So Gad came
to David
that day
and said
to him, " aGo
up, erect
an altar
to the LORD
on the threshing
floor
of 1Araunah
the Jebusite
."
David went
up according to the word
of Gad
, just
as the LORD
had commanded
.
Araunah looked
down
and saw
the king
and his servants
crossing
over
toward
him; and Araunah
went
out and bowed
his face
to the ground
before the king
.
Then Araunah said
, "Why
has my lord
the king
come
to his servant
?" And David
said
, "To buy
the threshing
floor
from you, in order to build
an altar
to the LORD
, athat the plague
may be held
back
from the people
."
Araunah said
to David
, "Let my lord
the king
take
and offer
up what
is good
in his sight
. Look
, athe oxen
for the burnt
offering
, the threshing
sledges
and the yokes
of the oxen
for the wood
.
"Everything, O king
, Araunah
gives
to the king
." And Araunah
said
to the king
, "May the LORD
your God
aaccept
you."
However, the king said
to Araunah
, "No
, but I will surely
buy
it from you for a price
, for aI will not offer
burnt
offerings
to the LORD
my God
1which
cost
me nothing
." So bDavid
bought
the threshing
floor
and the oxen
for fifty
shekels
of silver
.
David built
there
an altar
to the LORD
and offered
burnt
offerings
and peace
offerings
. aThus the LORD
was moved
by prayer
for the land
, and the plague
was held
back
from Israel
.