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.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 24: MEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 24
24
David Numbers Israel and Judah
(1 Chronicles 21.1-27)
1And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2For the king said to Jo´ab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3And Jo´ab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Jo´ab, and against the captains of the host. And Jo´ab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aro´er, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6then they came to Gil´e-ad, and to the land of Tahtim–hod´shi; and they came to Dan–ja´an, and about to Zidon, 7and 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, even to Beer–sheba. 8So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9And Jo´ab 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.
10And 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. 11For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12Go 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. 13So 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. 14And 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.
15So 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 Beer–sheba seventy thousand men. 16And 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 Arau´nah the Jeb´usite. 17And 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.
18And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Arau´nah the Jeb´usite. 19And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded. 20And Arau´nah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Arau´nah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21And Arau´nah 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. 22And Arau´nah 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. 23All these things did Arau´nah, as a king, give unto the king. And Arau´nah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee. 24And the king said unto Arau´nah, 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. 25And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.