2 Samuel 24
24
David’s census
1The LORD burned with anger against Israel again, and he incited David against them: Go and count the people of Israel and Judah.
2So the king said to Joab and the military commanders#24.2 LXX and 2 Sam 24:4; MT commander who were with him, “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people so I know how many people there are.”
3Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God increase the number of people a hundred times while the eyes of my master the king can still see it! But why does my master the king want to do this?”
4But the king’s word overruled Joab and the military commanders. So Joab and the commanders left the king’s presence to take a census of the Israelites. 5They crossed the Jordan River and began from Aroer and from#24.5 LXX; MT camped in Aroer south of the city the town that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, then on to Jazer. 6They continued to Gilead and on to Kadesh in Hittite territory.#24.6 Hebrew uncertain; correction on to the area beneath Hermon They came to Dan#24.6 LXXL; MT Dan-jaan and went around to Sidon. 7They went to the fortress of Tyre and to all the towns of the Hivites and the Canaanites. They went out to Beer-sheba in the arid southern plain of Judah. 8At the end of nine months and twenty days, after going through the entire country, they came back to Jerusalem. 9Joab reported to the king the number of the people who had been counted: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand strong men who could handle a sword; in Judah the total was five hundred thousand men.
10But after this David felt terrible that he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, please take away the guilt of your servant because I have done something very foolish.”
11When David got up the next morning, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: 12Go and tell David, This is what the LORD says: I’m offering you three punishments. Choose one of them, and that is what I will do to you.
13So Gad went to David and said to him, “Will three#24.13 LXX, 1 Chron 21:12; MT seven years of famine come on your land? Or will you run from your enemies for three months while they chase you? Or will there be three days of plague in your land? Decide now what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”
14“I’m in deep trouble,” David said to Gad. “Let’s fall into the LORD’s hands because his mercy is great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”
15So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that very morning until the allotted time. Seventy thousand people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba. 16But when the divine messenger stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD regretted doing this disaster and said to the messenger who was destroying the people, “That’s enough! Withdraw your hand.” At that time the LORD’s messenger was by the threshing floor of Araunah from Jebus.
17When David saw the messenger who was striking down the people, he said, “I’m the one who sinned! I’m the one who has done wrong. But these sheep—what have they done wrong? Turn your hand against me and my household.”
18That same day Gad came to David and told him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah from Jebus.” 19So David went up, following Gad’s instructions, just as the LORD had commanded.
20Araunah looked up and saw the king and his servants approaching him. Araunah rushed out and bowed low before the king, his nose to the ground. 21Araunah said, “Why has my master and king come to his servant?”
David said, “To buy this threshing floor from you to build an altar to the LORD, so the plague among the people may come to an end.”
22Then Araunah said to David, “Take it for yourself, and may my master the king do what he thinks is best. Here are oxen for the entirely burned offering, and here are threshing boards and oxen yokes for wood. 23All this, Your Majesty, Araunah gives to the king.” Then he added, “May the LORD your God respond favorably to you!”
24“No,” the king said to Araunah. “I will buy them from you at a fair price. I won’t offer up to the LORD my God entirely burned offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25David built an altar there for the LORD and offered entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices. The LORD responded to the prayers for the land, and the plague against Israel came to an end.
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2 Samuel 24: CEB
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Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 24
24
1And again the displeasure of יהוה burned against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ against them to say, “Go, number Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah.”
2And the sovereign said to Yo’aḇ the commander of the army who was with him, “Go please, throughout all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa, and register the people, so that I know the number of the people.”
3And Yo’aḇ said to the sovereign, “Even if יהוה your Elohim does add to the people a hundredfold more than there are, and the eyes of my master the sovereign see it, but why does my master the sovereign delight in this matter?”
4However, the sovereign’s word was strong towards Yo’aḇ and against the commanders of the army. And Yo’aḇ and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the sovereign to register the people of Yisra’ĕl.
5And they passed over the Yardĕn and camped in Aro‛ĕr, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the wadi of Gaḏ, and toward Ya‛zĕr.
6Then they came to Gil‛aḏ and to the land of Taḥtim Ḥoḏshi, and they came to Dan Ya‛an and around to Tsiḏon.
7And they came to the stronghold of Tsor and to all the cities of the Ḥiwwites and the Kena‛anites, and went out to South Yehuḏah as far as Be’ĕrsheḇa.
8And when they had gone through all the land, they came to Yerushalayim at the end of nine new moons and twenty days.
9And Yo’aḇ gave the number of the registration of the people to the sovereign, and there were in Yisra’ĕl eight hundred thousand brave men who drew the sword, and the men of Yehuḏah were five hundred thousand men.
10And the heart of Dawiḏ struck him after he had numbered the people. And Dawiḏ said to יהוה, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, I pray, O יהוה, take away the crookedness of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
11And Dawiḏ rose up in the morning, and the word of יהוה came to the prophet Gaḏ, Dawiḏ’s seer, saying,
12“Go, and you shall speak to Dawiḏ, ‘Thus said יהוה, “I hold three options before you. Choose one of them, and I do it to you.” ’ ”
13Gaḏ then came to Dawiḏ and informed him. And he said to him, “Should seven years of scarcity of food come to you in your land? Or would you flee three new moons before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or should there be three days’ plague in your land? Now know and see what answer I take back to Him who sent me.”
14And Dawiḏ said to Gaḏ, “I am in great trouble. Please let us fall into the hand of יהוה, for His compassion is great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
15And יהוה sent a plague upon Yisra’ĕl from the morning till the appointed time, and from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa seventy thousand men of the people died.
16And the messenger stretched out His hand over Yerushalayim to destroy it, and יהוה relented concerning the evil, and said to the messenger who was destroying the people, “It is enough, now stop Your hand.” And the messenger of יהוה was by the threshing-floor of Arawnah the Yeḇusite.
17And Dawiḏ spoke to יהוה when he saw the messenger who was striking the people, and said, “See, I have sinned, and I have done perversely. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”
18And Gaḏ came that day to Dawiḏ and said to him, “Go up, raise a slaughter-place to יהוה on the threshing-floor of Arawnah the Yeḇusite.”
19And Dawiḏ, according to the word of Gaḏ, went up as יהוה commanded.
20And Arawnah looked and saw the sovereign and his servants coming toward him. And Arawnah went out and bowed before the sovereign with his face to the ground.
21And Arawnah said, “Why has my master the sovereign come to his servant?” And Dawiḏ said, “To buy the threshing-floor from you, to build a slaughter-place to יהוה, so that the plague be withdrawn from the people.”
22And Arawnah said to Dawiḏ, “Let my master the sovereign take and offer that which seems good to him. Here are cattle for ascending offering, and threshing implements and the yokes of the cattle for wood.
23“All these, O sovereign, Arawnah has given to the sovereign.” And Arawnah said to the sovereign, “יהוה your Elohim accept you!”
24And the sovereign said to Arawnah, “No, let me buy it from you for a price, for certain. I am not offering ascending offerings to יהוה my Elohim without cost.” So Dawiḏ bought the threshing-floor and the cattle for fifty sheqels of silver.
25And Dawiḏ built a slaughter-place to יהוה there, and offered ascending offerings and peace offerings. And יהוה answered the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Yisra’ĕl.
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