| 1 And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he
moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 And the
king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go now to and
fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number
ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people. 3 And Joab said unto
the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may
be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king 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 the Jordan, and encamped in
Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of
Gad, and unto Jazer: 6 then they came to Gilead, and to the land of
Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Sidon, 7 and
came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of
the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.
8 So when they had gone to and from 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 numbering 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 Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but
now, O Jehovah, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I
have done very foolishly. 11 And when David rose up in the morning, the
word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 Go and
speak unto David, Thus saith Jehovah, 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 thy foes while they pursue thee?
or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and
consider 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 Jehovah;
for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man. 15 So
Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time
appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy
thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward
Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the
angel that destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay thy hand. And the
angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote the
people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these
sheep, what have they done? let thy 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 Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 And David
went up according to the saying of Gad, as Jehovah commanded. 20 And
Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him:
and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the
ground. 21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his
servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an
altar unto Jehovah, 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, the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing
instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood: 23 all this, O king,
doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, Jehovah thy
God accept thee. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily
buy it of thee at a price. Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah
my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the
oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar unto
Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So Jehovah was
entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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