歷代志上 21
1 [統計人口得罪上主]撒殫起來反對以色列，慫恿達味統計以色列：
And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2 達味對約阿布及人民的首領說：「你們去統計以色列，由貝爾舍巴直到丹，然後回來告訴我，叫我知道他們的數目。」
And 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 the sum of them.'
3 約阿布回答說：「願上主使自己的百姓比現在更增加百倍! 我主大王，他們不都是我主的僕人嗎﹖我主為什麼硬要這樣作﹖為什麼要使以色列陷於罪惡﹖」
And Joab said: 'The LORD make His people a hundred times so many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?'
4 然而君王的命令迫使約阿布；約阿布便去，走遍了全以色列，然後回到耶路撒冷，
Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 將統計人民的數目呈報給達味；全以色列能持刀的人有一百一十萬，猶大人能持刀的有四十七萬。
And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword; and Judah was four hundred three-score and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6 唯有肋未人及本雅明人沒有統計，因為約阿布憎厭君王的命令。
But Levi and Benjamin he did not number among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 這事使天主不悅，打擊了以色列。
And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He smote Israel.
8 達味對天主說：「我作這事，實在犯了重罪。現在，求你赦免你僕人的罪，因為我所行的實在昏愚。」
And David said unto God: 'I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing; but now, put away, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.'
9 上主曉諭達味的先見者加得說：「
And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David's seer, saying:
10 你去告訴達味：上主這樣說：我給你提出三件事，任你選擇一件，我好向你實行。」
'Go and speak unto David, saying: Thus saith the LORD: I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.'
11 加得來到達味前，對他說：「上主這樣說：任你選擇：
So Gad came to David, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Take which thou wilt:
12 或者三年饑荒；或者三個月在你敵人前流亡，為敵人持刀追擊；或者三日在你國內遭受上主的刀，即瘟疫，讓上主的使者蹂躪以色列全境。現在你考慮一下，我應向那派遣我來的回覆什麼!」
either three years of famine; or three months to be swept away before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even 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 that sent me.'
13 達味對加得說：「我很難作，但我寧願落在上主手中，因為他富於仁慈，而不願落在人手中。」[降瘟疫之罰]
And David said unto Gad: 'I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are His mercies; and let me not fall into the hand of man.'
14 於是上主使瘟疫降於以色列；在以色列因瘟疫死了七萬人。
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 當時，天主派一位天使往耶路撒冷去，要毀滅那城；將要毀損的時候，上主一看，便後悔降災，遂吩咐毀滅的天使說：「夠了，現在收回你的手罷! 」那時，上主的天使正立在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上。
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was about to destroy, the LORD beheld, and He repented Him of the evil, and said to the destroying angel: 'It is enough; now stay thy hand.' And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 達味舉目，見上主的使者立在天地中間，手持脫鞘的刀，朝向耶路撒冷。達味與眾長老都身穿麻衣，俯伏在地。
And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 達味對天主說：「不是我下了令統計百姓麼﹖是我犯了罪，是我這個牧者作了惡。但這羊群作了什麼﹖上主，我的天主! 願你的手打擊我和我的父家，但不要將瘟疫降在你百姓身上! [建築祭壇平息主怒]
And David said unto God: 'Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against Thy people, that they should be plagued.'
18 上主的天使吩咐加得去告訴達味，叫他上去，在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上，為上主建立一座祭壇。
Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 達味就照加得奉上主的名所說的話上去了。
And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.
20 敖爾難回頭看見君王和他的四個兒子經過；那時敖爾難正在打麥子。
And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons that were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 達味走到敖爾難那裏，敖爾難一看見達味，便走出禾場，俯首至地叩拜達味。
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed down to David with his face to the ground.
22 達味對敖爾難說：「請將這塊禾場地段讓給我，我要在這禾場上為上主建立一座祭壇，請照足價讓給我，為止息民間的災禍。」
Then David said to Ornan: 'Give me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build thereon an altar unto the LORD; for the full price shalt thou give it me; that the plague may be stayed from the people.'
23 敖爾爾對達味說：「儘管用吧! 我主大王看著好，就去行吧! 看我將牛給你作全燔祭，打禾具作木柴，麥子作素祭：這一切我都供給你」。
And Ornan said unto David: 'Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; lo, I give thee the oxen for burnt-offerings, and the threshing-instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal-offering; I give it all'
24 達味對敖爾難說：「不成! 我一定要照足價來買；我不能拿你的東西獻於上主，不能用沒有代價的東西，獻作全燔祭」。
And king David said to Ornan: 'Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price; for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer a burnt-offering without cost.'
25 於是，達味為那塊地付給敖爾難六百「協刻耳」重的金子。
So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 達味在那裏為上主建立了一座祭壇，奉獻了全燔祭與和平祭，呼求了上主，上住由天上垂聽了他，使火降在全燔祭壇上，
And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and called upon the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.
27 並命天使將刀收入鞘中。[選定建殿地點]
And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword back into the sheath thereof.
28 那時，達味見上主在耶步斯人敖爾難的禾場上垂聽了他，就在那裏獻了祭。─
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 梅瑟在曠野所造的會幕和全燔祭壇，那時雖都在基貝紅高處，
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 但達味不敢前去求問天主，因為害怕上主使者的刀。
But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was terrified because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
