2 Samuel 24
24
The Census Taken
1Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and #24:1 See 1 Chr 21:1. As in the case of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7; cf 1 Cor 5:5), God sometimes accomplishes His purposes by allowing Satan to inflict injury or cause trouble.He incited David against them to say, “Go, #24:1 Ordinarily taking a census would have been a routine procedure for a nation as a way of assessing taxes or conscripting and assigning men to an army. But in Israel none of this was necessary unless it was commanded by God, and David’s action was the product of ego and an uncharacteristic shift of trust and dependence from God to human resources (as Joab suspected, v 3). To his credit, David eventually realized this and came to God in repentance.count [the people of] Israel and Judah.” 2So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], and conduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.” 3But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king #24:3 Lit delight in.want to do this thing?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So they went from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Israel. 5They crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the south side of the city which is in the middle of the river valley [of the Arnon] toward Gad, and on toward Jazer. 6Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon, 7and they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba. 8So when they had gone about through all the land [taking the census], they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9And Joab gave the sum of the census of the people to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.
10But David’s heart (conscience) troubled him after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 11When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12“Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I am giving you three choices; select one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.” ’ ” 13So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your enemies as they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of pestilence (plague) in your land? Now consider this and decide what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.” 14Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hands of man.”
Pestilence Sent
15So the Lord sent a pestilence (plague) [lasting three days] upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the [avenging] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the disaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he spoke to the Lord and said, “Behold, I [alone] am the one who has sinned and done wrong; but these sheep (people of Israel), what have they done [to deserve this]? Please let Your hand be [only] against me and my father’s house (family).”
David Builds an Altar
18Then Gad [the prophet] came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite [where you saw the angel].” 19So David went up according to Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded. 20Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and he went out and bowed before the king with his face toward the ground. 21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be held back from the people.” 22Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for the burnt offering, and threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23All of this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God be favorable to you.” 24But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David purchased the #24:24 Later Solomon would build his temple on this site.threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25David built an altar to the Lord there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was moved [to compassion] by [David’s] prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.
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Shmuel Bais 24
24
1And again the Af Hashem was kindled against Yisroel, and He incited Dovid against them to say, Go, number Yisroel and Yehudah.
2For HaMelech said to Yoav Sar HaChayil, who was with him, Go now through kol Shivtei Yisroel, from Dan even to Be'er-Sheva, and number ye HaAm, that I may know the Mispar HaAm.
3And Yoav said unto HaMelech, Now Hashem Eloheicha add unto HaAm, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of adoni HaMelech may see it; but why doth adoni HaMelech delight in this thing?
4Notwithstanding the devar HaMelech prevailed against Yoav, and against the Sarei HeChayil. And Yoav and the Sarei HaChayil went out from before HaMelech, to number HaAm Yisroel.
5And they passed over Yarden, encamped in Aro'er, on the south of the Ir that lieth in the middle of the ravine of Gad, toward Yazer;
6Then they came to Gil'ad, to Eretz Tachtim-Chodshi; they came to Dan-Ya'an, went around to Tzidon,
7And came to the fortress of Tzor, and to all the cities of the Chivi, and of Kena'ani; and they went out to the Negev of Yehudah, to Be'er-Sheva.
8So when they had gone through kol HaAretz, they came to Yerushalayim at the end of 9 months and 20 days.
9And Yoav gave up the sum of the number of HaAm unto HaMelech; and there were in Yisroel Shmoneh Me'ot Elef ish chayil that drew the cherev; and the Ish Yehudah were chamesh Me'ot Elef ish.
10And the lev Dovid struck him after that he had numbered HaAm. And Dovid said unto Hashem, Chatati (I have sinned) me'od (greatly) in what I have done; and now, Hashem, take away the avon (iniquity, guilt) of Thy eved; for I have done very foolishly.
11For when Dovid rose up in the boker, the Devar Hashem came unto Gad HaNavi, the Chozeh Dovid (Seer of Dovid), saying,
12Go, say unto Dovid, Thus saith Hashem, I offer thee shalosh (three, three things); choose for thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13So Gad came to Dovid, and told him, and said unto him, Shall shalosh#24:13 See 1Chr 21:12, Hebrew here says sheva shanim of ra'av (famine) come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee shloshah chodashim before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? Or that there be shloshet yamim dever (three days of pestilence) in thy land? Now consider, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.
14And Dovid said unto Gad, I am in a great tzar (distress); let us fall now into the Yad Hashem; for His rachamim are rabbim: and let me not fall into the yad adam.
15So Hashem sent a dever (pestilence) upon Yisroel from the boker even to the es mo'ed (time appointed); and there died of HaAm from Dan even to Be'er-Sheva shiv'im elef ish.
16And when the Malach stretched out his yad upon Yerushalayim to destroy her, Hashem relented from the destruction, and said to the Malach that destroyed HaAm, It is enough; restrain now thine yad. And the Malach Hashem was by the goren of Aravnah the Yevusi.
17And Dovid spoke unto Hashem when he saw the Malach that struck HaAm, and said, Hineh, I have sinned, and I have transgressed; but these tzon, what have they done? Let Thine yad be against me, and against Bais Avi.#24:17 Isa 53:6
18And Gad came that day to Dovid, and said unto him, Go up, erect a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem in the goren of Aravnah the Yevusi.
19And Dovid, according to the Devar Gad, went up as Hashem commanded.
20And Aravnah looked, and saw HaMelech and his avadim coming on toward him; and Aravnah went out, and prostrated himself before HaMelech on his face upon the ground.
21And Aravnah said, Why is adoni HaMelech come to his eved? And Dovid said, To buy the goren of thee, to build a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem, that the magefah (plague) may be withdrawn from HaAm.
22And Aravnah said unto Dovid, Let adoni HaMelech take and offer up what seemeth tov unto him; see, here are oxen for the olah (burnt sacrifice), and threshing tools and other instruments of the bakar (oxen) for wood.
23All these things did Aravnah, hamelech lamelech, give. And Aravnah said unto HaMelech, Hashem Eloheicha yirtzecha (accept thee).
24And HaMelech said unto Aravnah, Lo (no); but I will surely buy it of thee at a mekhir (price); neither will I offer olot (burnt offerings) unto Hashem Elohai of that which doth cost me nothing. So Dovid bought the goren and the bakar for fifty shekels of kesef.
25And Dovid built there a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem, and offered olot (burnt offerings) and shelamim (peace offerings). So Hashem was entreated for the land, and the magefah#24:25 see Isa 53:8 (plague) was withdrawn from Yisroel.
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