歷代志上 21
1 撒但起來攻擊以色列人，激動大衛數點他們。
An adversary arose against Israel and incited David to count Israel.
2 大衛就吩咐約押和民中的首領說：「你們去數點以色列人，從別是巴直到但，回來告訴我，我好知道他們的數目。」
David said to Joab and to the commanders of the army, “Go, count the people of Israel from Beersheba to Dan and report back to me, that I may know their number.”
3 約押說：「願耶和華使他的百姓比現在加增百倍。我主我王啊，他們不都是你的僕人嗎？我主為何吩咐行這事，為何使以色列人陷在罪裏呢？」
Joab said, “May Yahweh make his army a hundred times greater than it is. But my master the king, do they not all serve my master? Why does my master want this? Why bring guilt on Israel?”
4 但王的命令勝過約押。約押就出去，走遍以色列地，回到耶路撒冷，
But the king's word was enforced against Joab. So Joab left and went throughout all Israel. Then he came back to Jerusalem.
5 將百姓的總數奏告大衛：以色列人拿刀的有一百一十萬；猶大人拿刀的有四十七萬。
Then Joab reported the total of the count of the fighting men to David. There were in Israel 1,100,000 men who drew the sword. Judah alone had 470,000 soldiers.
6 惟有利未人和便雅憫人沒有數在其中，因為約押厭惡王的這命令。
But Levi and Benjamin were not counted among them, for the king's command had disgusted Joab.
7 上帝不喜悅這數點百姓的事，便降災給以色列人。
God was offended by this action, so he attacked Israel.
8 大衛禱告上帝說：「我行這事大有罪了！現在求你除掉僕人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」
David said to God, “I have greatly sinned by doing this. Now take away your servant's guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”
9 耶和華吩咐大衛的先見迦得說：
Yahweh told Gad, David's prophet,
10 「你去告訴大衛說，耶和華如此說：我有三樣災，隨你選擇一樣，我好降與你。」
“Go say to David, 'This is what Yahweh says: I am giving you three choices. Choose one of them.'”
11 於是，迦得來見大衛，對他說：「耶和華如此說：『你可以隨意選擇：
So Gad went to David and said to him, “Yahweh says this, 'Choose one of these:
12 或三年的饑荒；或敗在你敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月；或在你國中有耶和華的刀，就是三日的瘟疫，耶和華的使者在以色列的四境施行毀滅。』現在你要想一想，我好回覆那差我來的。」
either three years of famine, three months being pursued by your enemies and being caught by their swords, or else three days of Yahweh's sword, that is, a plague in the land, with the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the land of Israel.' Now then, decide what answer I should take to the one who sent me.”
13 大衛對迦得說：「我甚為難。我願落在耶和華的手裏，因為他有豐盛的憐憫；我不願落在人的手裏。」
Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress! Let me fall into the hand of Yahweh rather than into the hand of man, for his merciful actions are very great.”
14 於是，耶和華降瘟疫與以色列人，以色列人就死了七萬。
So Yahweh sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand people died.
15 上帝差遣使者去滅耶路撒冷，剛要滅的時候，耶和華看見後悔，就不降這災了，吩咐滅城的天使說：「夠了，住手吧！」那時，耶和華的使者站在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場那裏。
God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy it, Yahweh watched and changed his mind about the harm. He said to the destroying angel, “Enough! Now draw back your hand.” At that time the angel of Yahweh was standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 大衛舉目，看見耶和華的使者站在天地間，手裏有拔出來的刀，伸在耶路撒冷以上。大衛和長老都身穿麻衣，面伏於地。
David looked up and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand raised over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, lay facedown on the ground.
17 大衛禱告上帝說：「吩咐數點百姓的不是我嗎？我犯了罪，行了惡，但這群羊做了甚麼呢？願耶和華－我上帝的手攻擊我和我的父家，不要攻擊你的民，降瘟疫與他們。」
David said to God, “Is it not I that commanded that the army be numbered? I did this wicked thing. But these sheep, what have they done? Yahweh my God! Let your hand strike me and my family, but do not let the plague remain on your people.”
18 耶和華的使者吩咐迦得去告訴大衛，叫他上去，在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上為耶和華築一座壇；
So the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar for Yahweh at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 大衛就照着迦得奉耶和華名所說的話上去了。
So David went up as Gad instructed him to do in the name of Yahweh.
20 那時阿珥楠正打麥子，回頭看見天使，就和他四個兒子都藏起來了。
While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel. He and his four sons with him hid themselves.
21 大衛到了阿珥楠那裏，阿珥楠看見大衛，就從禾場上出去，臉伏於地，向他下拜。
When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David. He left the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground.
22 大衛對阿珥楠說：「你將這禾場與相連之地賣給我，我必給你足價，我好在其上為耶和華築一座壇，使民間的瘟疫止住。」
Then David said to Ornan, “Sell me this threshing floor, so I can build an altar for Yahweh. I will pay the full price, so that the plague may be removed from the people.”
23 阿珥楠對大衛說：「你可以用這禾場，願我主我王照你所喜悅的去行。我也將牛給你作燔祭，把打糧的器具當柴燒，拿麥子作素祭。這些我都送給你。」
Ornan said to David, “Take it as your own, my master the king. Do with it what is good in your sight. Look, I will give you oxen for burnt offerings, threshing sledges for wood, and wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all to you.”
24 大衛王對阿珥楠說：「不然！我必要用足價向你買。我不用你的物獻給耶和華，也不用白得之物獻為燔祭。」
King David said to Ornan, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and offer it as a burnt offering to Yahweh if it costs me nothing.”
25 於是大衛為那塊地平了六百舍客勒金子給阿珥楠。
So David paid six hundred shekels of gold for the place.
26 大衛在那裏為耶和華築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭，求告耶和華。耶和華就應允他，使火從天降在燔祭壇上。
David built an altar for Yahweh there and offered on it burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on Yahweh, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings.
27 耶和華吩咐使者，他就收刀入鞘。
Then Yahweh gave an order to the angel, and the angel put his sword back into its sheath.
28 那時，大衛見耶和華在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上應允了他，就在那裏獻祭。
When David saw that Yahweh had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he performed the sacrifice there at that same time.
29 摩西在曠野所造之耶和華的帳幕和燔祭壇都在基遍的高處；
Now at that time, Yahweh's tabernacle, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar for burnt offerings, were at the high place at Gibeon.
30 只是大衛不敢前去求問上帝，因為懼怕耶和華使者的刀。
However, David could not go there to ask for God's direction, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.
