2 Samuel 24

1And again the anger of YHWH was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them, saying: ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’

2And the king said to Joab the captain of the host that was with him: ‘Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.’

3And Joab said unto the king: ‘Now YHWH thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?’

4Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5And they passed over the Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer;

6then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Zidon,

7and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.

8So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto YHWH: ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, O YHWH, put away, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.’

11And when David rose up in the morning, the word of YHWH came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:

12‘Go and speak unto David: Thus saith YHWH: I lay upon thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.’

13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him: ‘Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to Him that sent Me.’

14And David said unto Gad: ‘I am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of YHWH; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.’

15So YHWH sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

16And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, YHWH repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people: ‘It is enough; now stay thy hand.’ And the angel of YHWH was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17And David spoke unto YHWH when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said: ‘Lo, I have sinned, and I have done iniquitously; but these sheep, what have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.’

18And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him: ‘Go up, rear an altar unto YHWH in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’

19And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as YHWH commanded.

20And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out, and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

21And Araunah said: ‘Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?’ And David said: ‘To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto YHWH, that the plague may be stayed from the people.’

22And Araunah said unto David: ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him; behold the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-instruments and the furniture of the oxen for the wood.’

23All this did Araunah the king give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king: ‘YHWH thy God accept thee.’

24And the king said unto Araunah: ‘Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto YHWH my God which cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25And David built there an altar unto YHWH, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So YHWH was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.