2 Samuel 24
24
David’s Census of Israel and Judah
1Ch 21:1–17
1Again the Lord became angry against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah.” # 1Ch 21:1; 27:23–24
2The king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Go throughout all of the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, # Jdg 20:1; 2Sa 3:10 and muster the people so that I may know the number of the people.”
3Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, # Dt 1:11 in the sight of my lord the king; but why does my lord the king so desire this thing?”
4However, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from before the king to register the people of Israel.
5They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, # Dt 2:36; Jos 13:9 south of the city, in the middle of the ravine of Gad toward Jazer. 6They went toward Gilead to the land of Tahtim Hodshi. Then they went toward Dan Jaan and around to Sidon. # Jos 19:28 7They went to the fortress of Tyre # Jos 19:29 and all of the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. # Jos 11:3 They went to the Negev and Beer-sheba.
8They went throughout the entire land, and after nine months and twenty days, they came to Jerusalem.
9Joab gave the count of the census of the people to the king. There were eight hundred thousand capable men who could draw a sword in Israel, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.
Judgment for David’s Sin
10Now the heart of David struck him # 1Sa 24:5 after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly # 2Sa 12:13 by what I have done. Now may the Lord take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have behaved very foolishly.” # 1Sa 13:13
11When David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, # 1Sa 22:5 the seer # 1Sa 9:9 for David, saying, 12“Go and speak to David: Thus says the Lord: Three options I am laying before you. Choose for yourself one of them, and I will do this to you.”
13So Gad came to David and told him. He said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? # Lev 26:25; 1Ch 21:12 Now consider and advise what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”
14David said to Gad, “I am very distressed. Let us fall by the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is great. # Ps 51:1; 119:156 May I not fall by the hand of man.”
15So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time. Seventy thousand men from the people died, # 1Ch 21:14; 27:24 from Dan to Beer-sheba. 16When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented # Ge 6:6; Ex 12:23 from the calamity. He said to the angel who was annihilating the people, “Enough! Now stay your hand.” The angel of the Lord was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17On seeing the angel who was striking down the people, David said to the Lord, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. These sheep, what have they done? # Ps 74:1 Please, let your hand be against me and against the house of my father.”
David Builds an Altar
1Ch 21:18–26
18Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19So David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord commanded. 20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed low to the king with his face on the ground.
21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
David replied, “To purchase the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be averted from the people.”
22Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering # 1Sa 6:14; 1Ki 19:21 and the threshing sledges and yokes of the oxen for wood. 23Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” Araunah also said to the king, “May the Lord your God be favorable toward you.”
24However, the king said to Araunah, “No, for I will certainly purchase from you for a fair price. I will not offer up to the Lord burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels # 24:24 About 1.25 pounds, or 575 grams. of silver. # 1Ch 21:24–25 25David built an altar to the Lord # 1Sa 7:17 there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the land pleaded with the Lord, # 2Sa 21:14 and the plague was averted from Israel.
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2 Samuel 24: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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2 Samuel 24
24
David Enrolls the Fighting Men
1Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders#24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3But 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?”
4The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
5After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
8After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
10David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
11Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ”
13So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three#24:13 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrew seven years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
14David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
15So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,#24:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd. have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”
David Builds an Altar
18On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
22Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23Your Majesty, Araunah#24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels#24:24 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams of silver for them. 25David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
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