1 S atan stood up against Israel and stirred up David to number Israel.

¶ And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.

2 D avid said to Joab and the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me the total, that I may know it.

And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3 A nd Joab answered, May the Lord multiply His people a hundred times! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this? Why will he bring guilt upon Israel?

And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s slaves? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guiltiness unto Israel?

4 B ut the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

5 J oab gave the total number of the people to David. And all of Israel were 1, 100, 000 who drew the sword, and of Judah 470, 000 who drew the sword.

And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And they found in all Israel eleven times one hundred thousand men that drew sword, and of Judah four hundred seventy thousand men that drew sword.

6 B ut Levi and Benjamin he did not include among them, for the king’s order was detestable to Joab.

Among these the Levites and the sons of Benjamin were not counted, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

7 A nd God was displeased with this, and He smote Israel.

¶ And God was also displeased with this word; therefore, he smote Israel.

8 A nd David said to God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. But now, I beseech You, take away the hateful wickedness of Your servant; for I have done very foolishly.

And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy slave, for I have done very foolishly.

9 A nd the Lord said to Gad, David’s seer,

And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,

10 G o and tell David, Thus says the Lord: I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.

Go and tell David, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three things: choose one of them that I will do unto thee.

11 S o Gad came to David and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Take which one you will:

So Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Choose thee,

12 E ither three years of famine, or three months of devastation before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him Who sent me.

either three years’ famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13 A nd David said to Gad, I am in great and distressing perplexity; let me fall, I pray you, into the hands of the Lord, for very great and many are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hands of man.

Then David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are his mercies, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.

14 S o the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 70, 000 men.

So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

15 G od sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and He regretted and relented of the evil and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of that evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite.

16 D avid lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and the heavens, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17 A nd David said to God, Is it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is I who has sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father’s house, but not on Your people, that they should be plagued.

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18 T hen the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

¶ Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 S o David went up at Gad’s word, which he spoke in the name of the Lord.

And David went up according to the word of Gad, which he had spoken unto him in the name of the LORD.

20 N ow Ornan was threshing wheat, and he turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons hid themselves.

And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

21 A nd as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw him, and went out from the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshingfloor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

22 T hen David said to Ornan, Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, that the plague may be averted from the people.

Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD; thou shalt grant it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

23 O rnan said to David, Take it; and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. I give you the oxen also for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.

And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; I even give thee the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for wood and the wheat for the present; I give it all.

24 A nd King David said to Ornan, No, but I will pay the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings which cost me nothing.

And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will truly buy it for the full price, for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

25 S o David gave to Ornan for the site 600 shekels of gold by weight.

So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

26 A nd David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the Lord; and He answered him by fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.

And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the LORD, and he answered him from the heavens by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

27 T hen the Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

And when the LORD spoke to the angel, he put up his sword again into its sheath.

28 W hen David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.

At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

29 F or the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place at Gibeon,

30 B ut David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

but David could not go before it to enquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.