2Sa 24 | ABEn | STEP | And [ 2 proceeded 3 in anger 1 the lord ] to burn in Israel. And he stirred up David against them, saying, Go count Israel and Judah!

‏ 2 Samuel 24

CHAPTER 24 David Numbers the People

1 And [²proceeded ³in anger ¹the lord] to burn in Israel. And he stirred up David against them, saying, Go count Israel and Judah! 2 And [³said ¹the ²king] to Joab, ruler of the forces of the ones with him, Go around indeed all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from Dan and unto Beer-sheba, and number the people! and I shall know the number of the people. 3 And Joab said to the king, And may [³add ¹the lord ²your God] to your people, as even these a hundred foldly, and the eyes of my master the king seeing it -- but my master the king, why do you want to do this matter? 4 And [⁵excelled ¹the ²word ³of the ⁴king] against Joab, and the rulers of the force. And Joab went forth, and the rulers of the force before the king to number the people of Israel. 5 And they passed over the Jordan, and they camped in Aroer at the right of the city of the one in the midst of the ravine of Gad and Eleizer. 6 And they came into Gilead, and into the land Tahtim Hodshi; and they came into Dan, and encircled to Sidon, 7 and they came into Mapsar of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivite, and the Canaanite. And they went out unto the south of Judah into Beer-sheba. 8 And they traveled about in all the land, and came at the end of nine months and twenty days into Jerusalem. 9 And Joab gave the number of the numbering of the people to the king. And there was to Israel eight hundred thousand men of the force unsheathing the broadsword. And men of Judah -- five hundred thousand men warriors. 10 And [³struck ¹the heart ²of David] him after counting the people. And David said to the lord, I have sinned exceedingly -- I having done this thing. And now, O lord, remove indeed the iniquity of your servant, for I was in folly exceedingly. 11 And David rose up in the morning, and the word of the lord came to Gad the prophet, the one seeing for David, saying, 12 Go and speak to David! saying, Thus says the lord, Three things I lift unto you; you choose for yourself one of them! and I will execute against you.

Judgment against David

13 And Gad went to David, and he announced, and he said to him, Choose for yourself what is to be to you! Three years of famine in your land, or three months for you to flee before your enemies, and they will be pursuing you, or [⁴to be ¹three ²days ³of plague] in your land. Now then, know and perceive! what I shall answer to the one sending me. 14 And David said to Gad, [³narrow choice ⁴to me ²an exceedingly ¹It is] -- the three things. I shall fall into the hands of the lord, for [³great ¹his compassions ²are exceedingly], but into the hands of men in no way shall I fall. 15 And [²chose ³for himself ¹David] plague. And the lord appointed plague in Israel from morning and unto the hour of dinner. And there died from out of the people from Dan and unto Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16 And [³stretched out ¹the ²angel] his hand to Jerusalem, to utterly destroy it. And the lord relented over the evil, and said to the angel destroying among the people, Enough now, spare your hand! And the angel of the lord was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David spoke to the lord in his beholding the angel striking among the people, and he said, Behold, I sinned, and I the shepherd did evil, and these are the sheep, what did they do? Let [³come ²indeed ¹your hand] against me, and against the house of my father! 18 And Gad came to David in that day, and said to him, Ascend, and set up an altar to the lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite! 19 And David ascended according to the word of Gad the prophet, in which manner [²gave charge ³to him ¹the lord]. 20 And Araunah looked, and he beheld the king, and his servants coming near unto him. And Araunah went forth, and did obeisance to the king upon his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, For what reason comes my master the king to his servant? And David said, To acquire from you the threshing-floor, to build an altar to the lord, so that [⁵should be constrained ¹the devastation ²upon ³the ⁴people]. 22 And Araunah said to David, Take it and offer, O my master the king, to the lord what is good in your eyes! Behold, the oxen are for a whole burnt-offering, and the wheels, and the items of the oxen are for wood. 23 The whole amount Araunah gave to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The lord your God, may he bless you. 24 And [³said ¹the ²king] to Araunah, Not so, but only by acquiring shall I acquire it from you for a price, for I shall not offer to the lord my God a whole burnt-offering without paying a charge. And David acquired the threshing-floor, and the oxen with [²silver ³shekels ¹fifty]. 25 And [²built ³there ¹David] an altar to the lord, and he offered whole burnt-offerings, and peace offerings. And the lord heeded the land, and held up the devastation on top of Israel.