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.
