And Satan stood up
against Israel
, and provoked
David
to number
Israel
.
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 .
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
?
Nevertheless the king's word
prevailed
against Joab
. Wherefore Joab
departed
, and went
throughout all Israel
, and came
to Jerusalem
.
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
.
But Levi and Benjamin
counted
he not among
them: for the king's
word
was abominable
to Joab
.
And God was displeased
with this thing
; therefore he smote
Israel
.
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
.
And the LORD spake
unto Gad
, David's
seer
, saying
,
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.
So Gad came
to David
, and said
unto him, Thus saith
the LORD
, Choose
thee
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.
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
.
So the LORD sent
pestilence
upon Israel
: and there fell
of Israel
seventy
thousand
men
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And David went up
at the saying
of Gad
, which he spake
in the name
of the LORD
.
And Ornan turned back
, and saw
the angel
; and his four
sons
with him hid
themselves. Now Ornan
was threshing
wheat
.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
So David gave
to Ornan
for the place
six
hundred
shekels
of gold
by weight
.
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
.
And the LORD commanded
the angel
; and he put up
his sword
again
into the sheath
thereof.
At that time when David
saw
that the LORD
had answered
him in the threshingfloor
of Ornan
the Jebusite
, then he sacrificed
there.
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
.
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
.