1 T hen Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

Satan stood up against Israel and stirred up David to number Israel.

2 S o David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “ Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.”

David 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.

3 J oab said, “ May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

And 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?

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

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

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

Joab 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.

6 B ut he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

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

7 G od was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel.

And God was displeased with this, and He smote Israel.

8 D avid said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

And 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.

9 T he Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,

And the Lord said to Gad, David’s seer,

10 “ Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’”

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

11 S o Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Take for yourself

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

12 e ither three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

Either 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.

13 D avid said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

And 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.

14 S o the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel; 70, 000 men of Israel fell.

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

15 A nd God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

God 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.

16 T hen David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces.

David 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.

17 D avid said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.” David’s Altar

And 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.

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

Then 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.

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

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

20 N ow Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat.

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

21 A s David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground.

And 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.

22 T hen David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people.”

Then 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.

23 O rnan said to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all.”

Ornan 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.

24 B ut King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.”

And 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.

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

So David gave to Ornan for the site 600 shekels of gold by weight.

26 T hen David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the Lord and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

And 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.

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

Then the Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

28 A t that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there.

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

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

For 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.

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

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