1 S atan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.

Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

2 D avid said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”

So David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go and number Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Then let me know how many people there are.”

3 J oab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

Joab 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 want this thing done? Why should he bring guilt upon Israel?”

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

But the king’s word was stronger than Joab. So Joab left and went through all of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

5 J oab gave up the sum of the census of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew a sword; and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword.

He gave the number of all the people to David. There were 1, 100, 000 men in all Israel who used the sword. And there were 470, 000 men in Judah who used the sword.

6 B ut he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

But Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin among them because he did not like what the king had told him to do.

7 G od was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.

God was not pleased that Israel was numbered so He punished Israel.

8 D avid said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

David said to God, “I have sinned very much by doing this thing. But now I beg You, take away the sin of Your servant for I have done a very foolish thing.”

9 Y ahweh spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,

The Lord said to Gad, David’s man of God,

10 “ Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”

“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “I give you three things to choose from. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”

11 S o Gad came to David, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Take your choice:

So Gad came to David and said, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Choose one of these.

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

Three years of no food in the land; three months to be destroyed by the sword of those who hate you; or three days of the sword of the Lord. This would be a disease sent upon the land. The angel of the Lord would destroy with disease through all the land of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should give Him Who sent me.”

13 D avid said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into Yahweh’s hand; for his mercies are very great. Don’t let me fall into man’s hand.”

David said to Gad, “I am in much trouble. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord. For His loving-kindness is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14 S o Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

So the Lord sent a disease upon Israel. And 70, 000 men of Israel died.

15 G od sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” Yahweh’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw the trouble and was sorry. He said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now take your hand away.” The angel of the Lord was standing by the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 D avid lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

Then David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven. The angel had his sword in his hand, held out over Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders fell on their faces. They were dressed in cloth made from hair.

17 D avid said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”

David said to God, “Was it not I who said that the people must be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done a very bad thing. But what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, I beg You, let Your hand be against me and my father’s house. But do not let the trouble be upon Your people.”

18 T hen Yahweh’s angel commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to say to David, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

19 D avid went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in Yahweh’s name.

So David went up when he heard what Gad said in the name of the Lord.

20 O rnan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

Now Ornan was beating the grain. He turned 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 of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

Ornan looked and saw David coming. So he went out from the grain-floor and put his face to the ground showing respect to David.

22 T hen David said to Ornan, “Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to Yahweh on it. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”

David said to him, “Give me this part of the grain-floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. Give it to me for the full price. Then the disease will be turned away from the people.”

23 O rnan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.”

Ornan said to David, “Take it. Let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I will give the bulls for burnt gifts. I will give the objects made of wood used for beating grain for the fire-wood. And I will give the grain for the grain gift. I will give it all.”

24 K ing David said to Ornan, “No; but I will most certainly buy it for the full price. For I will not take that which is yours for Yahweh, nor offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

But King David said to Ornan, “No, I will buy it for the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord. And I will not give a burnt gift for which I do not pay.”

25 S o David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.

So David gave Ornan 600 pieces of gold by weight for the place.

26 D avid built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

Then David built an altar there to the Lord. He gave burnt gifts and peace gifts, and he called to the Lord. The Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt gifts.

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

Then the Lord told the angel to return his sword to its holder.

28 A t that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

When David saw that the Lord had answered him on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he gave his gifts there.

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

The meeting tent which Moses had made in the desert was in the high place at Gibeon then. The altar of burnt gifts was there also.

30 B ut David couldn’t go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of Yahweh’s angel.

But David could not go in front of it to pray to God. For he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.