aThen Satan stood
up against
Israel
and moved
David
to number
Israel
.
So David said
to Joab
and to the princes
of the people
, " aGo
, number
Israel
from Beersheba
even to Dan
, and bring
me word that I may know
their number
."
Joab said
, " aMay 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
?"
Nevertheless, the king's word
prevailed
against
Joab
. Therefore, Joab
departed
and went
throughout all
Israel
, and came
to Jerusalem
.
Joab gave
the number
of the 1census
of all the people
to David
. And aall
Israel
were 1,100,000
men
who drew
the sword
; and Judah
was 470,000
men
who drew
the sword
.
aBut he did not 1number Levi
and Benjamin
among
them, for the king's
2command
was abhorrent
to Joab
.
1God was displeased
with this
thing
, so He struck
Israel
.
David said
to God
, "I have sinned
greatly
, in that I have done
this
thing
. aBut now
, please
take
away
the iniquity
of Your servant
, for I have done
very
foolishly
."
The LORD spoke
to aGad
, David's
bseer
, saying
,
"Go and speak
to David
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
, "I 1offer
you three
things
; choose
for yourself one
of them, which I will do
to you.""'
So Gad came
to David
and said
to him, "Thus
says
the LORD
, `Take
for yourself
aeither 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."
David said
to Gad
, "I am in great
distress
; please
let me fall
into the hand
of the LORD
, afor His mercies
are very
great
. But do not let me fall
into the hand
of man
."
aSo the LORD 1sent
a pestilence
on Israel
; 70,000
men
of Israel
fell
.
And God sent
an angel
to Jerusalem
to destroy
it; but as he was about to destroy
it, the LORD
saw
and awas 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 1Ornan
the Jebusite
.
Then 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
, acovered
with sackcloth
, fell
on their faces
.
David said
to God
, "Is it not I who 1commanded
to count
the people
? Indeed, I am the one who
has sinned
and done
very
wickedly
, abut 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
."
aThen the angel of the LORD
1commanded
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
.
So David went
up at the word
of Gad
, which
he spoke
in the name
of the LORD
.
Now Ornan turned
back
and saw
the angel
, and his four
sons
who were with him hid
themselves. And Ornan
was threshing
wheat
.
As David came
to Ornan
, Ornan
looked
and saw
David
, and went
out from the threshing
floor
and prostrated
himself 1before David
with his face
to the ground
.
Then David said
to Ornan
, "Give
me the 1site
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
."
Ornan 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
."
But 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
1which
costs
me nothing
."
So aDavid gave
Ornan
600
shekels
of gold
by weight
for the 1site
.
Then David built
an altar
to the LORD
there
and offered
burnt
offerings
and peace
offerings
. And he called
to the LORD
and aHe answered
him with fire
from heaven
on the altar
of burnt
offering
.
The LORD commanded
the angel
, and he put
his sword
back
in its sheath
.
At that time, when David
saw
that the LORD
had answered
him on the threshing
floor
of Ornan
the Jebusite
, he offered
sacrifice
there
.
aFor 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
.
But David could
not go
before
it to inquire
of God
, for he was terrified
by the sword
of the angel
of the LORD
.