2 Samuel 24
24
1And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3And Joab said to the king, May Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim even add to the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? 4But the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. And Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel. 5And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jaazer. 6And they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and came to Dan-jaan, and to the environs of Sidon; 7and they came to the fortified city of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and went out to the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba. 8And they went through all the land, and came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, Jehovah, put away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11And when David arose in the morning, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12Go and say to David, Thus saith Jehovah: I impose on thee three things; choose one of them that I may do it unto thee. 13And Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine adversaries while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now be aware and consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. 14And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man. 15And Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the set time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16And the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it; but Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed among the people, It is enough: withdraw now thine hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17And David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Behold, it is I that have sinned, and it is I that have committed iniquity; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be on me, and on my father's house!
18And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as Jehovah had commanded. 20And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on towards him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up that which is good in his sight: see, here are oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-sledges and implements of the oxen for wood. 23All these things, O king, doth Araunah give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim accept thee. 24And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will in any case buy them of thee at a price: neither will I offer up to Jehovah my God#GodHebrew: Elohim burnt-offerings without cost. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25And David built there an altar to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. And Jehovah was propitious to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
2 Samuel 24
24
David’s Military Census
1The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”#1Ch 21:1–28
2So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the troops so I can know their number.”#Nm 1:2–3; 1Sm 13:15
3Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they are#Dt 1:11 — while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”
4Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king’s presence to register the troops of Israel.
5They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer,#Dt 2:36; Jos 13:9,16 south of the town in the middle of the valley, and then proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. 6They went to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites#24:6 LXX; MT reads of Tahtim-hodshi; Hb obscure and continued on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. 7They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Afterward, they went to the Negev of Judah at Beer-sheba.
8When they had gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were eight hundred thousand valiant armed men#24:9 Lit men of valor drawing the sword from Israel and five hundred thousand men from Judah.#Nm 1:45–46
10David’s conscience troubled him#1Sm 24:5 after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish,#Nm 12:9–12; 1Sm 13:13 please take away your servant’s guilt.”
David’s Punishment
11When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad,#1Sm 22:5 David’s seer:#1Sm 9:9 12“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’”
13So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three#24:13 LXX; MT reads seven; 1Ch 21:12 years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully#24:13 Lit Now, know and see what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”
14David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great,#Ps 103:8–18; 119:156 but don’t let me fall into human hands.”
15So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. 16Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,#2Kg 19:35 but the Lord relented concerning the destruction#Ex 32:14; Am 7:3–6 and said to the angel who was destroying#1Co 10:10 the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah#24:16 = Ornan in 1Ch 21:15–28; 2Ch 3:1 the Jebusite.#2Ch 3:1
17When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one#24:17 LXX reads shepherd who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”
David’s Altar
18Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. 20Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.
21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”#Nm 16:44–50
22Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants#24:22 Lit take what is good in his eyes and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.#1Sm 6:14; 1Kg 19:21 23Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces#24:24 Lit 50 shekels of silver. 25He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,#2Sm 21:14 and the plague on Israel ended.
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